Meissner
A German surname usually meaning someone from Meissen or Meissen-like places, with the spelling influenced by German "ß/ss" variation.
The #8,093 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 75,359 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Meissner is a German habitational surname, most likely meaning "person from Meissen" or from a similarly named place. The name is tied to the city of Meissen in Saxony, whose older form appears in German as Meißen/Meissen; the suffix -er is the usual German marker for origin or place association. Historical spelling also varies between Meissner, Meißner, and Meixner, reflecting older German orthography and local pronunciation.
History
The surname is well attested in medieval and early modern German records, and the excerpts show it being discussed as an established German family name. It spread beyond Saxony as people moved, so bearers of the name could be found in many parts of German-speaking Europe and later in emigrant communities abroad. The spelling Meissner is a standard modern form, especially outside Germany where ß is often replaced by ss.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because German ß is commonly replaced by ss in international use, Meißner often becomes Meissner in passports, archives, and English-language records.
From the historical record
“2) Stark S. 156: Rudolfus iS/rt^*w^ar (Straubinger) 12. Jahrh.; Heinrich der Wiener 14. Jahrh. — Henricus dictus Mijssener (Meißner) Köln. Univ.- Matrikel 1390. Digitized by”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen