2000
#39,444
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 525
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.19
Very Rare Last name
Meir
A Jewish surname derived from the Hebrew name meaning "Illuminator" or "One who enlightens".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 755 Americans carry the last name Meir. That puts it at #36,570 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 453,979 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meir surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Meir with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
755
1 in 453,979
Census rank
#36,570
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
658
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 658 bearers of the surname Meir in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 36570th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meir, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Meir
The surname Meir is of German origin, derived from the Old High German word "meier," which means a steward, bailiff, or overseer of an estate. This name first appeared in the Middle Ages, around the 12th century, in various regions of Germany.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Meir can be found in medieval German records and documents, such as the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae and the Monumenta Germaniae Historica. These records mention individuals with the surname Meir holding positions of authority or overseeing agricultural estates.
In some cases, the surname Meir was also derived from place names that incorporated the word "meier," such as Meierhofen, Meierhof, or Meiersheim. These place names were often associated with agricultural communities or estates, reflecting the occupational origin of the surname.
One notable historical figure with the surname Meir was Johannes Meir, a German scholar and theologian who lived in the 15th century (c. 1400-1475). He is known for his contributions to the study of canon law and his writings on various theological subjects.
Another significant bearer of the surname Meir was Michael Meir, a German astronomer and mathematician who lived in the 16th century (c. 1510-1587). He is renowned for his work on planetary motion and his contributions to the development of the Copernican heliocentric model of the solar system.
In the field of literature, Georg Meir (1628-1700) was a German poet and satirist who gained recognition for his biting social commentary and humorous verses. His works provided insights into the social and cultural aspects of 17th-century Germany.
The surname Meir also has connections to the Netherlands, where it is sometimes spelled as "Meijer" or "Meijer van Delft." One notable figure with this variation of the surname was Cornelis Meijer van Delft (1516-1590), a Dutch painter and engraver known for his religious and mythological works.
Lastly, in the 20th century, Gerhart Meijer (1902-1964) was a German political scientist and sociologist who made significant contributions to the study of bureaucracy and organizational theory. His works influenced the development of modern organizational and management studies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meir
Among Census respondents with the surname Meir, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Meir bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Meir surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.7% · 551
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.2% · 21
- Two or more races3.2% · 21
- Black or African American1.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meir
Meir appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#40,016
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 548
+23 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Down 572 places
2020
#36,570
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 658
+110 bearers (+20.1%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 3,446 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #39,444 | 525 | 0.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #40,016 | 548 | 0.19 | +23 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 572 places |
| 2020 | #36,570 | 658 | 0.22 | +110 bearers (+20.1%) | Up 3,446 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Meir surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #40,016 | #36,570 | 8.6% |
| Count | 548 | 658 | 20.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.19 | 0.22 | 15.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meir bearers went from 548 to 658 (+20.1% change). The surname moved up 3,446 positions in the national ranking, going from #40,016 to #36,570.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Meir
FAQ
Meir surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meir?
Name Census estimates that about 755 living Americans carry the surname Meir. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 453,979 residents.
How common is Meir?
Meir ranks #36,570 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 658 people with the surname Meir. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (755), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Meir.
Has Meir become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meir went from 548 recorded bearers to 658. That is an increase of 110 (+20.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #40,016 to #36,570.
What does the Census say about the background of Meir?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meir, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Meir in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.7% (551 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meir appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.7%), Hispanic (7.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Meir (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Meir mean?
A Jewish surname derived from the Hebrew name meaning "Illuminator" or "One who enlightens". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Meir (0.22 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Meir?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Meir at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.