Surname Görsmeier - Meaning and Origin
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Görsmeier: What does the surname Görsmeier mean?
The surname Görsmeier originates from Germany and is derived from the personal name “Görz” or “Görs”. The suffix -meier indicates that the person or family bearing this name held a position of responsibility, such as a public official, merchant, or innkeeper. Over the course of centuries this name has evolved into other variations including Goersmeier, Geersmeier, Germeier, Gorzmeier, Gosemeier, and Giersmeier.
The surname is associated predominantly with the city of Nuremberg, though it is also found in other parts of Germany with a slightly different spelling. The most common other variations of Görsmeier within Germany are Gorsmeye and Gorsmeijer.
Widespread migration over the past several centuries has seen this surname crop up all over the world, predominantly in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
The Görsmeier surname is a testament to the evolution of language over time, with the original personal name “Görz” or “Görs” slowly taking on different spellings depending on the region and later leaving the country as emigrants sought new lives in other parts of the world. It is a name steeped in history, and those who bear it can be proud of its heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisGörsmeier: Where does the name Görsmeier come from?
The last name Görsmeier is most commonly found in Germany today. It is also found in regions of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Austria. According to records, the Görsmeier surname originated in the Middle Ages in what is now the Netherlands.
The city of Nisse, located in the German state of Lower Saxony, is home to the most current and widespread population of Görsmeiers. Census data indicates there are around 800 Görsmeiers there alone, which equates to 0.5% of the population. The Görsmeier surname is also found close by in the towns of Varrel, Ahaus, Schwegenheim, and Dorum.
Görsmeiers have also settled in numerous other locations throughout Germany such as Berlin, Hamburg, the Ruhr Region, Munich, and Stuttgart. This is the result of larger migrations that have occurred over the centuries. Prior to the middle of the 19th century, Görsmeier families were mostly concentrated in the rural regions of Germany and the Netherlands.
Outside Germany, the surname Görsmeier is common in the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, and the United States. There are also Görsmeiers found in France, Russia, Canada, Australia, and Poland. In the United States, there are an estimated 150 Görsmeiers spread out across the country.
Variations of the surname Görsmeier
Görsmeier is an uncommon German surname. It is a highly regionalized surname that is mostly found in the Altmark region of Germany. As many German names, Görsmeier can be spelled several different ways such as Görsmeyer, Goersmeier, and Goersmeyer. It can also be seen with a double “m” (Görsmeyers). Variations such as Grosmeier, Gorsmaier, Grosmeyer, Gorsmayer, Grosmaier and Grosmayer also exist.
Görsmeier is derived from the Middle High German word ‘grov’, meaning ‘grove, wasteland’ or ‘grainfield’, along with the common Low German suffix ‘er’. It is believed to be an occupational surname, likely referring to someone living in or near a wasteland or a grainfield.
Old variants of Görsmeier can be seen in the form ‘Gödesmer’, which appear in medieval documents as early as 1241. In its original variant as Gödesmer, the suffix was added to mean belonging to ‘Gode’, the person from whom the land or wasteland was owned.
The Goersmeyer and Grosmaier surnames also appear in medieval documents from Altmark, but with reduced suffixes. This suggests the names have been passed down through generations, with various changes in spelling and pronunciation over time.
In recent decades, the Görsmeier surname has rarely been seen outside of Altmark. Despite some regional variations, it is one of the few German names that has remained geographically localized.
Famous people with the name Görsmeier
- Arnold Görsmeier (former mayor of the city of Aurich)
- Jonathan Görsmeier (German basketball player)
- Jonas Görsmeier (German singer, songwriter and music producer)
- Frank Görsmeier (German-American filmmaker)
- Anton Görsmeier (19th century German cartographer)
- Reinhard Görsmeier (German politician)
- Friedrich Görsmeier (former Catholic bishop of Mainz)
- Karl Heinz Görsmeier (German footballer and coach)
- Johann Ludwig Görsmeier (senior German diplomat)
- Hermann Görsmeier (Austrian olympic medalist in cycling)
- Hilde Görsmeier (German former tennis player)
- Heinrich Görsmeier (German sculptor and painter)
- Henriette Görsmeier (German equestrian rider)
- Hans Görsmeier (German lawyer, university professor and politician)
- Friedrich Christoph Görsmeier (18th century bookseller, author and priest)
- Werner Görsmeier (German choir conductor and composer)
- Wilhelm Görsmeier (German journalist and writer)
- Franz Görsmeier (former mayor of Neuss)
- Johannes Görsmeier (German WWII Luftwaffe pilot and recipient of the Knights Cross)
- Valentin Görsmeier (German Catholic teacher and school principal)