Surname Pirkmayer - Meaning and Origin

Pirkmayer: What does the surname Pirkmayer mean?

The last name Pirkmayer is a surname of German origin, with a literal meaning of “pear merchant”. Historically, this surname was used to identify individuals who sold pears and other fruit from their carts or fruit stalls in local markets. This occupation likely began as early as medieval times, when perishable fruits were heavily traded throughout the German region.

Another theory suggests that the Pirkmayer surname was first used to identify someone who lived near a pear tree. Such individuals may have been involved with either picking, selling, or trading pears or the pear trees themselves. Similarly, the surname could have been used to designate the individual family living closest to a pear tree grove.

Today, the surname is still very much alive and is used mainly in Bavaria and the surrounding regions. Of course, the literal meaning of the surname has distanced slightly, and there are several other versions of the spelling, including Pyrkemeyer and Perkmayer.

Regardless of the surname’s evolution throughout the centuries, the Pirkmayer surname still retains a meaningful connection to its pear merchant origins, and is a reminder of the value of personal entrepreneurial spirit and ingenuity.

Pirkmayer: Where does the name Pirkmayer come from?

The last name Pirkmayer is most commonly associated with Germany and Central Europe in general. This is due to it being a very old name. According to sources, the Pirkmayer name is linked to a Frankish local lord or “count” who owned land in the Rhineland toward the end of the 8th century CE. This would make it one of the earliest Germanic surnames.

The surname is present all over Germany today, from East to West. According to a 2019 German census, the highest concentration of Pirkmayer families is around the Bavarian cities of Munich and Nuremberg. Other high concentrations are in the western cities of Cologne and Bonn on the Rhine, as well as the city of Wolfsburg in Lower Saxony.

While it has been a German name for centuries, it can also be found in countries such as the United States, where emigrations from Central Europe (particularly German-speaking territories) during the 18th and 19th centuries likely brought the name over. This means that there may be pockets of Pirkmayers heading up generations of families in the United States.

The spelling of the name may have changed slightly in the past few centuries due to dialectal variance, but the name is still easily identifiable in its various forms. The versions of the name are Pirkmaier, Pirkmeyer, Pirkmeier, Birkmayer, Birkmaier, Birkmire, Birkmeyer, and Birkmyer. Regardless of spelling it’s clear that the name is still widely present today.

Variations of the surname Pirkmayer

Pirkmayer is a German surname, which originates from the Old High German personal name Birghamuother, which is composed of an element meaning "Protection" (Burg meaning fortress) and muot meaning courage, spirit, or mind.

Variations of Pirkmayer include Pirkenmayer, Birkmayer, Birkenmayer, Pirkenmeier, Birkenmeier, Pirkimaier, Birkimaier, Pyrkmaier, Beyrkmaier, Birkimet, Birkammer, Berkmayer, Burkmaier, and Birckmaier.

Pirkenmayer is the most widely considered variant of the name, and could have derived from a nickname or short form of the original personal name. Birkenmayer combines the same elements of the original personal name -- Burg and muot, respectively -- and the name may have been created to emphasize the birch tree, which was considered a symbol of protection in ancient Germanic culture. In the same way, Pirkimaier and Birkimaier may have been created to emphasize or distinguish the beech tree, which was also a symbol of protection in old German culture.

Pyrkmaier is another variant of the name which utilizes the same elements, but the root word is derived from the Old High German word perah, which also means protection. Beyrkmaier is another variation which utilizes the same elements, but with the root word being derived from the Old High German word bewin meaning protection.

Birkmammer, Berkmayer, and Burkmaier are similar variants of the surname which also utilize the same combining elements -- Burg and muot -- with slight variations in spelling. Lastly, Birckmaier is a variant that may have been created to emphasize the birch tree, and is found primarily in areas in or close to Berlin.

Famous people with the name Pirkmayer

• Robert Pirkmayer: Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer.
• Marie Didi Pirkmayer: Austrian actress who appeared in Watching the Detectives and Riviera.
• Edward Pirkmayer: English writer and comedian known for his work, The Sad Tale of the Horrible Songbird.
• Arno Pirkmayer: German sculptor and artist.
• Max Pirkmayer: German equestrian and athlete.
• George Pirkmayer: Australian physician and scholar.
• Marianne Pirkmayer: Hungarian painter and sculptor.
• Holger Pirkmayer: German composer and musician.
• Claude Pirkmayer: French film producer and director.
• Stelios Pirkmayer: Greek poet and translator.

Other surnames

Pirkmayr