MYERS Surname Meaning and Origin

The surname Myers or Myer is usually either of German or British origin, depending upon the country of the particular family.

The German origin of the surname Myers has the meaning "steward or bailiff," as in the magistrate of a city or town.
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The English origin of the surname has three possible sources: 

1. A patronymic surname meaning "son of the mayor," from the Old English maire (maior) meaning "mayor."
2. A topographic surname for someone who lived near a marsh, or someone with "mire" (swampy, low-lying land) in the town name, from the Old Norse myrr meaning "marsh."
3. Possibly a surname derived from the Old French mire meaning "physician." 

Myers can also be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó Midhir, likely a variant of Ó Meidhir, meaning "mayor." 

Myers is the 85th most popular surname in the United States.

Surname Origin: English, German

Alternate Surname Spellings: MYER, MEYERS, MEYER, MEERS, MEARS, MEARES, MYARS, MYRES, MIERS, MIARES, MYERES

Famous People with the Surname MYERS

• Michael John "Mike" Myers: Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, and film producer
• Stephenie Meyer: American author, best known for her Twilight book series
• Jonathan Rhys Meyers: Irish actor
• Walter Dean Myers: American author
• Ernest Myers: English poet, classicist, and author

Read More

MEYER Surname Origin and Family History

By Kimberly Powell

Where Do People With the MYERS Surname Live?

Myers is the world's 1,777th most common surname, according to surname distribution data from Forebears, found most prevalently in the United States. It is most common based on a percentage of the population in Liberia, where it ranks 74th. It is a little less common in Canada, Australia, and England, where it ranks 427th, 435th and 447th respectively.

Myers is especially common on Prince Edward Island, Canada, according to WorldNames PublicProfiler. Within the United States, Myers is found most frequently in the states of West Virginia, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kansas and Ohio.

Genealogy Resources for the Surname MYERS

100 Most Common U.S. Surnames & Their Meanings
Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census?

Myers Family Crest - It's Not What You Think
Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Myers family crest or coat of arms for the Myers surname. Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. 

MYERS Family Genealogy Forum
Search this popular genealogy forum for the Myers surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Myers query.

FamilySearch - MYERS Genealogy
Access over 9 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Myers surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

MYERS Surname & Family Mailing Lists
RootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Myers surname.

DistantCousin.com - MYERS Genealogy & Family History
Explore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Myers.

The Myers Genealogy and Family Tree Page
Browse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Myers from the website of Genealogy Today.

References:

Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.

Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.

Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.

Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.

Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.

Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.

Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.