Surname Mey - Meaning and Origin
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Mey: What does the surname Mey mean?
The last name Mey is of Germanic and Anglo-Saxon origin. It is a patronymic surname formed from an ancestor's given name, and literally means “son of Mead”. The name Mead is thought to derive from the Old English word “maedwe”, which refers to a person who was a “mead-maker” or “honey-brewer”. This likely indicates that the original bearer of the surname was an apiarist or mead-maker.
Due to the continued migrations out of Germany and other parts of Central Europe, the name eventually spread to other countries and regions. Mey is common in Germany, Belgium, France, Austria and Switzerland, as well as in various areas of the United States and Canada.
The surname was sometimes anglicized to May or Mayes, or even MacMey in some cases. It is still widely found in both spellings throughout many European countries.
The name Mey is currently linked with notable people like Theodore Mey, German physicist, Professor Mey, Austrian engineer and Florence Mey, American relief worker.
Overall, the surname Mey has evolved over hundreds of years, with bearers being linked to an occupation of mead-making. It is still found in various spellings throughout many parts of Europe and North America and is connected to notable people from a wide range of backgrounds.
Order DNA origin analysisMey: Where does the name Mey come from?
The name Mey is most commonly found in Germany, France, Luxembourg, and Saint Barthelemy, and is of a Germanic origin. It is derived from the words “Mai” and “mag” which both mean “lively” or “strong”. The surname is also quite popular in certain regions of Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
In Germany, Mey is one of the most common surnames in the regions of Bavaria, Hesse, and Rhineland Palatinate. It is also found in larger cities like Berlin, Munich, and Stuttgart, as well as town like Magdeburg, Rostock, and Schwerin.
In France, the name is most commonly found in the regions of Alsace, Lorraine, and Occitan. It can also be found in larger cities like Paris, Lyon, and Bordeaux. In Luxembourg, the majority of Mey’s live in the capital, Luxembourg City.
In Saint Barthelemy, the most common place where the Mey surname is found is in the city of Gustavia. The name can also be found in neighboring countries such as Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
Overall, the surname Mey is quite popular in certain parts of Europe. It is likely to have had a historical influence on those states and regions that it is found in today.
Variations of the surname Mey
Mey is a surname found both in the United States and Germany. It is most commonly spelled as Mey or Meyer, although it can also be spelled Meier, Meyers, Mayer, Maier, Myer, Myers, Meijer, Mayr, and Maiers, to name a few.
Though the name has many different spellings, the origin is the same. Mey is the Germanic form of the Hebrew surname Mai, and it is most commonly Jewish in origin. It also has a German origin, when it served as an occupational surname for people who worked as farmers or were of peasant status. During the Middle Ages, the name was also attributed to people from the town of Mains near Mainz, and it likely took on a geographical significance as well.
The German version of Mey is typically associated with the variant Meyer, which is one of the commonest surnames in Germany and the U.S. This is due to the prevalence of Jewish immigrants in both countries in the 19th century. Some families, however, may have altered their spelling of the name to Mey in an attempt to become more assimilated into the culture.
The spelling Mey/Meyer can also be found in Sweden and Norway, where it was in use as early as the 1700s. It is unclear whether this might be related to the Germanic or Hebrew surname, or if it is an unrelated and distinct surname altogether.
Mey is generally viewed as an alternate spelling of the Hebrew surname Mai, which is derived from the Hebrew word “Meyer”, which means “one who is brighter”. The modern-day spelling Mey may also come from a Germanic form of the name, such as May. It is likely that, over time, the surname has been altered stylistically as it has been passed down through generations and adopted by different cultures.
Famous people with the name Mey
- Cem Mey, German footballer
- Elin Mey, German singer and songwriter
- Ansgar Mey, German judge and legal scholar
- Reinhold Mey, German actor and author
- Marcus Mey, German footballer
- Ralf Mey, German actor and director
- Melina Mey, German singer and songwriter
- Eva Mey, German professional golfer
- Berthold Mey, German graphic designer
- Dieter Mey, German engineer and inventor