Meyers
A surname most often tied to the German name Meyer, originally meaning a steward, tenant farmer, or farm manager.
The #586 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 5,405 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Meyers is usually explained as a variant of Meyer, a common German and Dutch occupational surname. The word goes back to Middle High German and related forms meaning a steward, bailiff, or tenant farmer, especially someone managing land for an owner. The final -s can reflect a patronymic or possessive-style ending, or simply a spelling variant that developed in different regions.
History
The name appears widely in German-speaking areas and in Dutch usage as a variant of Meyer/Meier. English-language surname dictionaries also group Meyers with Meyer, Meier, and Mayer, showing that the forms have long been treated as closely related. In the United States, Meyers became a familiar immigrant surname and remains fairly common.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname books often list Meyers right alongside Meyer, Meier, Mayer, and even Myers, reflecting how fluid spelling could be across languages and records.
From the historical record
“was transferred to a stable. MEYEPt. MEYERS. German meier, a steward, bailiff, tenant of a farm, or farmer. MEYNIL. Norm. Fr. mesnil, a manor- house. It was generallj' compounded witli”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom