Surname Heinrichmaier - Meaning and Origin

Heinrichmaier: What does the surname Heinrichmaier mean?

The surname Heinrichmaier is a German occupational name that derived from the personal name Heinrich and the German word "Meier," which means "mayor" or "farmer." The name Heinrichmaier was likely created by a tenant farmer or mayor who had the personal name Heinrich. It is also possible that this surname began as a status name for a mayor or official in a municipality.

The Heinrichmaier surname likely originated from the Middle High German "heinricher meier," which translates to "Heinrich the mayor." The name may have later morphed into the more modern spelling of "Heinrichmaier" as the language evolved over the centuries and spellings changed.

Heinrichmaier is a fairly common German surname. It is believed to have first appeared in the Middle Ages and is still used to this day. This surname can be used to trace a family's German history and is often seen as a sign of honor. People with this surname may be descended from a tenant farmer or minor official in a municipality. The majority of people with the Heinrichmaier surname still reside in Germany, but it has become a global name as more and more Heinrichmaiers have migrated abroad.

Heinrichmaier: Where does the name Heinrichmaier come from?

The surname Heinrichmaier is most commonly found in Germany and Austria today. This is mainly due to the fact that the name originated between the 17th and 19th centuries in Bavaria, which is located in the south of Germany. According to WorldNames Public Profiler, the majority of people bearing the last name Heinrichmaier reside in Germany, followed by Austria, Switzerland, the United States, and Canada.

Surnames are often associated with a geographical origin, so it's not surprising that Heinrichmaier is particularly prominent in Bavaria. It was derived from the given name Heinrich, meaning “ruler of the home”, and meier, a Middle High German title for a local magistrate or rural lord. Oftentimes, a specific region or settlement adopted a surname associated with a leader, and the Heinrichmaier variant was likely spread in Bavaria for this reason.

The population density of the last name is particularly concentrated in Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria, two of the largest cities in Germany. Especially in Bavaria, the region where it originated, it is a rather common name.

Given that Heinrichmaier is a very localized surname, it is not terribly widespread outside of Germany and Austria. However, you may find some in Switzerland, France, Hungary, and the United States. Due to immigration to North America in the 19th century, descendants of German Bavarians can be found in the United States, and some bear the surname Heinrichmaier.

Variations of the surname Heinrichmaier

The surname Heinrichmaier is derived from the Germanic personal name Heinrich, which is a combination of “heim” and “rich”, meaning “home” and “power”, respectively. Variations and other spellings of this surname include Heinrichmeir, Heinermaier, Heinermeyer, Heimrichmaier, Hellermaier, Hennrichmaier, Heimrichmeyer, Henrichmeyer, Henrichman, Henrichmaier, Helmermeyer, Heinmeir, Henrichmeier, and Henkermaier.

The various spellings and names may have originated with people of different nationality, with the same sort of immigration patterns and cultural mixing that created the different regional dialects in various countries, such as Germany, the United States and other countries. It could also be that as people moved away and placed their old name spellings in a new area, such as the US, they followed the language and spelling conventions of that region, which meant they adopted different versions of their original name from those of their original homeland.

Surnames derived from the same origin as Heinrichmaier are also numerous, as Heinrich was a very popular personal name in Germany, France, and other Germanic-speaking countries. Surnames that also have their roots in the same origin include Henicke, Henninger, Hergert, Henrich, and Henrici. The Heisman surname is also closely related to Heinrichmaier, as Heisman is derived from the German word “heim”, meaning “home”.

Famous people with the name Heinrichmaier

• Franz Heinrichmaier, a German football manager and former player
• Alexander Heinrichmaier, a German cabaret artist
• Josef Heinrichmaier, a German painter
• Sebastian Heinrichmaier, a German philologist
• Jürgen Heinrichmaier, a German politician
• Adam Heinrichmaier, a German composer
• Erwin Heinrichmaier, a German author
• Carl Heinrichmaier, a German Catholic bishop
• Philora Heinrichmaier, a German artist
• Max Heinrichmaier, a German entrepreneur

Other surnames

Heinrichmann