Surname Weinmayr - Meaning and Origin
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Weinmayr: What does the surname Weinmayr mean?
The last name Weinmayr is of German origin, derived from “wein” meaning “wine” and “mayer” meaning “mayor”—so, literally, “mayor of the vineyard”. A hint is found in its variations: “Weinmeister,” for example, translates to “wine master.”
Weinmayr might have referred to the head or administrator of a vineyard, maybe a steward or proprietor. In the days before large-scale winemaking was established in Europe, some vineyards were quite extensive, often requiring several people to manage the planting, harvesting, bottling, and marketing of the product.
The Beeler variant of the name suggests a second possible origin— that of a beekeeper or bee-master, a highly skilled and respected profession in Germany. While wein equals wine, “bienen” translates to “bees.”
By whatever means, the Weinmayr name is likely derived from a profession related to farming and agriculture. Today, it's a great symbol of those individuals who, literally and figuratively, continue to cultivate the land, the fruits of which are shared with friends, family, and the larger community.
Order DNA origin analysisWeinmayr: Where does the name Weinmayr come from?
The surname Weinmayr is primarily found in Germany. In fact, it is most common in the country's southern region, including Bavaria, Thuringia, Saxony, and Baden-Württemburg.
As of the year 2016, statistics show that the Weinmayr name is held by 277 people in Germany. Other countries where individuals bearing the name can be found include the United States, Canada, the Czech Republic and Poland. In the US, the census of 2010 reported 20 people with the last name.
The German language origins of Weinmayr can be traced to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the old Germanic root "wein," meaning "wine," and "meir," meaning "marker," implying a person who was involved in the production and sale of wine.
The Weinmayr name might be associated with several places in some regions. In the German state of Bavaria, for instance, there is a village named Weinmayr. Similarly, in Austria there are villages of Weinmaier and Weinmayer.
Though not as common today, the Weinmayr name can still be found in some countries within Europe and in parts of North America.
Variations of the surname Weinmayr
Weinmayr is a German surname that is common among ethnic German populations in central and eastern Europe. The origin of the name is from the German root words wein and meer, meaning "wine sea," suggesting that the original bearer of the name might have had associations with vineyards and wine production. Variations of the Weinmayr surname are Winmeier, Weinmeir, Wainmeier, Wainmeir, Weinemeir, and Waenmeir.
Alternate spellings of the Weinmayr name vary depending upon the speaker’s geographic origin, and may include Weynmaier, Weymayer, Weinemeyer, Wainmayr, Wainmeyer, Wynmaier, Wynmyer, Waenmeier, and Waenmayer. All of these variants would have been centuries-old regional variations, and are now out of common usage as the name shifted toward a more centralized spelling.
Only a small fraction of the people with the surname Weinmayr identify as ethnically German since many names with this origin were appropriated by other European people or nations during centuries of unrest and displacement due to war, persecution, and culture change. Therefore, there may also be spelling variations and corruptions of the name such as Vidmer, Viktorov, and Vinmeijer.
In conclusion, the Weinmayr name has a rich but complex heritage and has a variety of spellings and other variants, reflecting the population displacements and culture assimilation that the name has endured over the centuries.
Famous people with the name Weinmayr
- Lukas Weinmayr: Former Member of the Austrian National Council and Member of the Austrian People’s Party.
- Dieter Weinmayr: The principal investigator in charge of the Data Harmonization on Marine Ecosystem Health project, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
- Leon Weinmayr: A former German professional football player who represented clubs like Hertha BSC and FC Erzgebirge Aue in the top-flight Bundesliga.
- Christian Weinmayr: An Academy Award-nominated German film director and production designer, most famous for films such asiddown to Death Work, A Marriage by Proxy and The Onpassion.
- Luise Weinmayr: Actress, best known for Knives Out (2019), Get Lucky (2013) and Dada: The Story of Something Special (2011).
- Wolfram Weinmayr: A Swiss-born German artist, best known for his works “Nature Scene” and “Summers in the Alps.”
- Gene Weinmayr: A prolific professional photographer and camera operator, best known for his work on commercials and music videos.
- Jürgen Weinmayr: A former member of the German Democratic Republic’s National Unity Party.
- Baron Jens Weinmayr: An Austrian philanthropist and prominent member of the Vienna court during the 18th century.
- Denis Weinmayr: A professional alpine skier, best known for his multiple World Cup podiums and two medals at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.