Mayers
Usually a patronymic surname meaning “son of Mayer” or “son of May,” with the final -s marking descent.
The #5,708 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 50,814 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Mayers is generally explained as a possessive or patronymic form of Mayer or May: literally, “Mayer’s son” or “May’s son.” In English usage, the base name Mayer can reflect the occupational title for a mayor or steward, while in German and Jewish contexts it is often linked to the widespread surname Meyer/Maier. The ending -s is a common English surname marker meaning “of” or “son of.”
History
Historical surname dictionaries treat Mayers as a variant or derivative of Mayer, and records show it in Britain by the early modern period. It is also found in German-speaking areas as a spelling variant related to Meyer/Maier forms. Because several different naming traditions can converge on the same spelling, the surname may have more than one independent origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Nineteenth-century surname scholars routinely grouped Mayers with other Mayer/Meyer spellings, showing how fluid these name forms were across regions and languages.
From the historical record
“see in the appendix of Foreign Names. MAYERS, Mayer's (Son) : v. Mayer. MAYES, May(e)'s (Son) : v. May(e. MAYGER, a var. of Meager and Meagher, q.v. MAYHALL(Eng.)Bel. to Maghull (S.W. Lanes), 13th cent. Mahalie = the Tribal or National Hill [O.E.mcfe^, tribe, nation,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)