Fleischer
A German occupational surname meaning “butcher” or “meat seller.”
The #8,323 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 77,555 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Fleischer comes from German Fleisch, meaning “meat,” plus the agent suffix -er, so the name originally referred to someone who prepared or sold meat. In older German usage it was one of several surnames for the butcher’s trade, alongside forms such as Fleischhauer and Metzger. The literal sense is therefore “meat-worker” or “butcher.”
History
The name is well attested in German-speaking areas and is especially common as an occupational surname. Historical sources also note related forms used in different regions of Germany, which suggests local variation in how butchers were labeled. German immigrant communities carried the name abroad, including to North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Old German surname books note that several different regional words could all mean “butcher,” which is why occupational names like Fleischer, Fleischhauer, and Metzger coexist.
From the historical record
“Fletcher. Fl. Vleeschauwhr ; Fr. Fle~chard; G., Dch. Fleischer; p.n. Fleury. Fr. Fleury; p.n. Flewellen. See Llewellyn Fley. Dch. Vlie ; D. Flye ; p.n.”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (1st ed.)