Surname Megerle - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
Megerle: What does the surname Megerle mean?
The last name Megerle is German in origin and it means "little pupil," with its root words meg from old German meaning "little" and gerle meaning "pupil." It is derived from the names Megar and Meger.
In its earliest form, the name was recorded in the 13th century and evolved over time into the surname Megerle. It was a fairly common name in certain regions of Germany, and a few branches of the Megerle family have spread across Europe and into the United States.
The name Megerle is associated with a few noteworthy people in German history. Literature professor and poet Johannes Megerle wrote plays and held positions as a professor at the Humboldt University in Berlin. Johannes’ son, also named Johannes, was the editor of a German linguistic journal and worked as a professor of speech science and dialectology at the University of Tübingen.
Because the name was common in certain regions of Germany, it’s hard to pinpoint where exactly the Megerle family originated from. What we do know is that the name has a proud heritage and a unique and special meaning. Today, the Megerles of the world continue to achieve great things and share a rich history.
Order DNA origin analysisMegerle: Where does the name Megerle come from?
The surname Megerle is most commonly found in the United States, but it is also found in Germany and Austria. In the United States, the name is most often found in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan and California.
In the U.S., the surname was first found in the mid-1800s among German immigrants who settled along the east coast. The Megerles in Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan migrated there from Germany, while those in California descended from German immigrants to Mexico. From the 1880s onward, many of these Mexican settlers trekked north to California, bringing the Megerle surname with them.
In 2019, the most recent census reported that there were over 2,000 Megerles living in the United States, with more than 1,200 in California and more than 600 in Pennsylvania. In Germany, the surname is quite common in the state of Bavaria in the south, while in Austria it is found in Vienna and throughout the country’s many smaller cities and towns.
Today, the Megerle family name is associated with strong cultural traditions. In particular, the family’s connection to their German heritage is often still present in aspects of their religious beliefs, festivals and celebrations. Additionally, the Megerles from Mexico often keep connections to their Mexican heritages alive with regular visits to the country.
Variations of the surname Megerle
The surname Megerle is derived from an Old German term for ‘one who lives by the meadow’. Variations on this surname include Megerly, Megerl, Meger, Megert, Megerli, Megerts, Megular, Meggert, Megerer, Megher, and Megrel.
In some cases, the surname can also be spelled as Megaretz, Megers, Megules, Negheri, Negher, Negherly, Negherlis, Neghers, Renkert, and Mengert. Within Germany, this surname also became established as Mögerle, Mögerli, and Mögert, while in Austria it evolved into Mügerle or Mögle.
Megerle's surname is also considered a variant and spelling of the name Mögerle, which in itself is a form of the name Megert. In the United States, this name is especially common in Pennsylvania, and is most often spelled Mögerle. The most commonly seen spellings in the United States are Mögerle, Megert, and Megerle.
The surname is also found in France as Moegle and Meger, and in the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, as Mögle, Mügerle, and Mögerle. In England, it would be spelled as Megher, Megert, and Meggert.
In smaller numbers, the surname can also be found in Canada, South America, Holland, and Switzerland where it may be localized by dialectic changes to the original spelling. In particular, the original German spelling of Mögerle is still found occasionally in Canada and the United States, as is the original Austrian spelling of Mügerle.
Famous people with the name Megerle
- Martin Megerle: German actor and writer
- Eva Megerle: German artist
- Johannes Megerle: German etymology professor
- Rogier Megerle: Dutch professor of sociology
- Oswin Megerle: Swiss musician
- Leone Megerle von Mühlfeld: Bohemian painter of the Neo-Renaissance period
- Johann Megerle: German theologian
- Albert Megerle: German knowing author
- Paul Megerle: German painter of religious artwork
- Karl Megerle: German landscape and still-life artist
- Stefan Megerle: German head investigator
- Theodor Megerle: German landscape painter
- Fanny Megerle: German singer
- Johann Megerle von Mühlfeld: German Field Marshal
- Philipp Megerle von Mühlfeld: German pharmaceutical chemist
- Martha Megerle: Swiss architect
- Francis Megerle: German mathematician