Surname Niggemeier - Meaning and Origin

Niggemeier: What does the surname Niggemeier mean?

The last name Niggemeier (also spelled Niggemeyer, Niggemeier, and Nigemeyer) most likely comes from Germany, originating from a Middle High German habitational name denoting either someone who came from a place called “Niggemayr” or who worked a land plot called “Niggemayr”. It is an established surname found mainly in the western German regions of North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria.

The origin of the name itself lies in the combination of two words - the Germanic word “nigg”, which means “damp” or “moist”, and the word “meyer”, which means “administrator”. Over time, the “nigg” portion of the name was eventually shortened to “nig” and “meier” to “meier”. Thus, the surname translates to “moist land administrator”, likely originating as a descriptive name for someone who managed a wet or damp lands.

Today, the surname Niggemeier is largely found in the western part of German and several German-speaking countries, such as Austria and Switzerland. It is also found as a rare surname among Americans of mainly German and Swiss-German descent.

Niggemeier: Where does the name Niggemeier come from?

The last name Niggemeier is most commonly found in parts of Germany, particularly in the North Rhine-Westphalia region. This is likely the result of the name originating in the area during the medieval period when it was first used as a patronymic surname - a surname that is based on the father's name. It is likely that this surname was first used by a single family in the area, and as they moved about, the name moved with them.

Today, Niggemeier can be found in Germany in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland. It is also present in larger numbers in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and the United States. Across these locations, many of those bearing the name have roots in Germany or are descended from people with roots in Germany.

As a patronymic name, the spelling of Niggemeier can vary from family to family, where slight changes to the spelling of a name can occur as they pass through different generations. Due to this, variations on the name such as Niggemeier, Niegermeier, and Nietmeier can also be common in certain locations.

Variations of the surname Niggemeier

Niggemeier is a German surname derived from the Low German words “nig” and “meyer”, which mean “black” and “farmer” respectively. The original meaning of the surname is “black farmer”.

This surname is also found in alternate spellings and variants. These include: Neggemeier, Nigemeier, Niggemer, Nigymeier, Nigmeir, Niggemier, Nigmeyer, Nigemyer, Nigmeyer, and Neggehmeyer.

Surnames of the same origin are also found in other languages, such as Dutch (Nykamp/Nigkamp), Jewish German (Nigmejer/Nejmeyer) and Czech (Nejman/Najman).

The surname Niggemeier is quite rare, but it is still widely found throughout Germany, as well as in the United States and other countries with German immigrants. There are also many people who have changed their surname from Neggemeier to Niggemeier or other variants, especially when emigrating from Germany to countries including America, Canada, and Australia.

In America, the most common variants are Neggemeier and Nigemeier, which account for the majority of the approximately 800 people who bear this surname in the United States.

In conclusion, the surname Niggemeier has many spellings, variants, and other surnames of the same origin. These include Neggemeier, Nigemeier, Niggemer, Nigymeier, Nigmeir, Niggemier, Nigmeyer, Nigemyer, Nigmeyer, Neggehmeyer, Nykamp/Nigkamp, Jewish German (Nigmejer/Nejmeyer), and Czech (Nejman/Najman).

Famous people with the name Niggemeier

• Former German footballer, Marc Niggemeier
• German violinist, Stephanie Niggemeier
• American GED instruction marketer, John Niggemeier
• German footballer, Jürgen Niggemeier
• German rapper, Nico Niggemeier
• German journalist, Ursula Niggemeier
• German music producer, Boris Niggemeier
• German cellist, David Niggemeier
• American actor, Todd Niggemeier
• Former German footballer, Dirk Niggemeier
• American professor, James Niggemeier
• German politican, Dieter Niggemeier
• American professor, Braxton Niggemeier
• German singer, Gitte Niggemeier

Other surnames

Niggemeyer