Geyer
A German surname from the word for “vulture,” often originally a nickname or a house/sign name.
The #4,456 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 38,777 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Geyer comes from German Geyer, meaning “vulture.” In surname use, it could arise as a nickname, or from a house or inn sign bearing the vulture image. The name is part of a broader German tradition of surnames drawn from birds and other animals.
History
The name is well established in German-speaking areas and is also found in noble and place-based forms, such as families taking their name from a house called zum Geyer. It spread beyond Germany through migration, especially into North America, where it remains relatively uncommon but recognizable. Historical references also note its use among families who adopted bird imagery in heraldic or sign-based naming.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries explicitly gloss Geyer as “vulture,” reflecting how often German surnames came from everyday nouns or animal names.
From the historical record
“Gier, Gjeraae ; Fl. Giers ; G. Geyer, Gierig; D.B. Gheri ; p.n. Geater. D. Giede; D.B. Gida; p.n. Geddes. A loc. n., Nairn Gedge. See Geddes”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (1st ed.)