Surname Meyerhöfer - Meaning and Origin

Meyerhöfer: What does the surname Meyerhöfer mean?

The last name Meyerhöfer is an occupational surname which originated in Germany. It was derived from the Old High German word ‘meigo’, meaning mayer, which was a variant of the medieval title ‘meiger’, meaning magistrate or bailiff. Later, the Middle High German word ‘hofer’ was added, meaning steward, bailiff, or administrator. Therefore, the literal translation of the surname Meyerhöfer is “mayor's steward”.

Meyerhöfer families first emerged in the German region of Bavaria during the Middle Ages. Although the majority of Meyerhöfer families are still found in Bavaria today, many have emigrated to the United States, Canada, and other countries across the world. The surname Meyerhöfer is still found primarily in distinct areas of Bavaria.

Originally, a Mayerhöfer was a steward or supervisor of land who was assigned by a local magistrate to oversee the finances of a particular area or region. He collected rental fees and taxes from farmers and distributed them back to the local mayor, while keeping some for himself as commission income. Often, the Meyerhöfer family became well off due to their investments and prospered.

Today, the Meyerhöfer last name is seen as a sign of respect among members of the local Bavarian community and conveys a sense of family pride for those who bear the name. The Meyerhöfer surname now stands for a family who worked their way to financial prosperity and is a reminder of the hard-working, dignified heritage of the people who bear the name.

Meyerhöfer: Where does the name Meyerhöfer come from?

The last name Meyerhöfer is primarily of German origin. It is most common in Germany, with an estimated 42,778 occurrences in the most recent telephone directory. It is also found in Switzerland, where it is a hereditary surname of Swiss-German origin and is the 7th most popular surname in the country.

The surname is derived from the German element ‘meyer’ meaning a steward or guardian of an estate and the term ‘höfe’ which refers to an administrative division of a region or local administrative district. The combination of these two elements results in the translation of the surname as guardian of an estate or fief.

The surname has spread around the world, especially to the United States. Currently, over 11,000 people with the surname Meyerhöfer are living in the US. The state with the largest population of Meyerhöfers is California with 3,500 people. Other states with large populations of the surname include Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin, Texas, and Illinois. There is an additional 4,200 Meyerhöfers living in Canada.

In many countries, people with the last name Meyerhöfer are scattered throughout, with no one region having a significant concentration of the surname. However, it is evident that this surname is important to German and Swiss heritage and is well represented at a global level.

Variations of the surname Meyerhöfer

The surname Meyerhöfer is of German origin and can also be spelled as Meyerhoefer, Meyerhofer, Meyerhoffer as well as variations of these.

Meyerhofer is a toponymic surname, which means that it refers to the geographic origin of a person who bore it. It is derived from the German word “Meier” which means farmer or steward of land, and “Höfer” which means farmer or inhabitant of a farm or village. As a result, it suggests that the people who bore this surname might have been farmers who lived and worked in a certain village, and their surname would then reflect that fact.

Every surname has its own variants which are often a result of phonetic spelling or dialectic differences. In the case of Meyerhöfer, these variants have arisen from a simpler pronunciation (Meyerhofer) or translation into different language/dialects (Meyerhoffer).

Meyerhöfer is also the root for some additional surnames such as Moyerhofer,owerhofer, Meyerhoefer and Meyerhöfer-Biewener. This is because when immigrants settled in new countries, they often changed their surname to a simpler or more phonetically pronounced version.

Similarly, the variants of Meyerhöfer have also led to a variety of patronymic surnames, which are often formed by adding suffixes to the original name. For instance, Meyerhöfer may be shortened to Möhr and added to the suffix “mann” or “in” to form Variants such as Meyermann or Meyerin.

Ultimately, the surname Meyerhöfer is a reflection of the hardworking agricultural community of Germany from which it originated. The variety of spellings and variants indicate how the original surname has evolved throughout time and in different global contexts.

Famous people with the name Meyerhöfer

• Jérôme Meyerhöfer, French actor
• Alwin Meyerhöfer, German politician
• Hector Meyerhöfer, Spanish footballer
• Lachlan Meyerhöfer, Australian actor
• Elisa Meyerhöfer, German soprano
• Alexander Meyerhöfer, German Olympic taekwondo competitor
• Henri Meyerhöfer, German bishop
• Peter Meyerhöfer, German author
• Marie-Dominique Meyerhöfer, French painter
• Nicolas Meyerhöfer, French actor
• Karl Meyerhöfer, German diver
• Daniela Meyerhöfer, German figure skater
• Aidan Meyerhöfer, American action actor
• Harald Meyerhöfer, German engineer
• Hunter Meyerhöfer, American musician
• Anton Meyerhöfer, German lantern maker
• Jack Meyerhöfer, American rally car driver
• Tom Meyerhöfer, German Olympic foil fencer
• Bastian Meyerhöfer, German Olympic rower

Other surnames

MeyerhofMeyerhoffMeyerhöffer