Meador
A surname most often understood as a variant of Meadows, pointing to someone who lived by or came from a meadow.
The #3,474 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 29,999 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Meador is usually treated as an English surname variant related to Meadow and Meadows. The name ultimately comes from Old English mǣdwe or related meadow words, meaning a grassland or hay field. In surname use, it would have identified a person who lived near a meadow or came from a place called Meadow(s).
History
The spelling Meador appears to be one of several Americanized or regional spellings that developed from the Meadow/Meadows surname family. Such forms are especially common in English-speaking countries where surname spelling was not standardized for centuries. In the United States, Meador has been established enough to persist as a distinct family spelling.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because English surnames often drifted in spelling before modern recordkeeping, Meador and Meadows can sometimes belong to the same broader family line even when the spellings differ.