Mayer surname: meaning, census count and records | FamilyCrests

The Mayer surname

In the 2000 U.S. Census, 39,111 people carried this name — #803 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 6,900 people counted.

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In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 3,432 people named Mayer.

382 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 90 départements, most often Moselle.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born

Born outside France 382
Moselle 627
Paris 570
Bas-Rhin 230
Meurthe-et-Moselle 168
Haut-Rhin 133
Nord 128
Ain 73
Vosges 61

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

2,385 people named Mayer live in Switzerland.

They live in 25 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Zurich 551
St. Gallen 249
Aargau 243
Thurgau 228
Graubünden 150
Bern 145
Vaud 126
Basel-Landschaft 88

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In Poland’s population register

521 people named Mayer have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 770 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in all 16 of Poland’s voivodeships, most of all in Greater Poland.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Greater Poland 131
Pomeranian 89
Lesser Poland 47
Masovian 39
Silesian 33
Lower Silesian 32
Opole 32
Kuyavian-Pomeranian 28

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Belgium’s population register

At least 52 people named Mayer live in Belgium.

Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Brussels-Capital.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Brussels-Capital 26
Antwerp 10
Hainaut 6
Liège 5
Namur 5

Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Mayer in American newspapers,
1869–1963.

Newspaper page from The State Rights Democrat carrying the name Mayer
The State Rights Democrat 1869-08-14
Newspaper page from Las Vegas Daily Gazette carrying the name Mayer
Las Vegas Daily Gazette 1882-07-12
Newspaper page from Wisconsin VorwäRts carrying the name Mayer
Wisconsin VorwäRts 1898-02-07

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 19,100,101 pages in all carry the name.

Who carried it

People named Mayer,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Christian Mayer
    Christian Mayer 1719–1783 · scientist
  • Tobias Mayer
    Tobias Mayer 1723–1762 · astronomer
  • Johann Prokop Mayer
    Johann Prokop Mayer 1737–1804 · naturalist
  • Friedrich Christoph Mayer
    Friedrich Christoph Mayer 1762–1841 · politician
  • Karl Mayer
    Karl Mayer 1786–1870 · judge

Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 128 lives in all are documented under this name.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Mayer.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Mayer is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See what a volume holds
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