MAJER Origin of surname
MAJER
Surnames derive from one of many different origins. Sometimes there may be more than one explanation for the same name. This family name is a patronymic surname based on a male ancestor's personal name, in this case of biblical origin.
Majer, a variant of the German Meyer meaning "farmer" is a transliteration of the Hebrew male personal name Meir. In talmudic times, people credited with bringing light or intellectual clarity to their subject were given the name Meir, a biblical name mentioned in the Torah. The Hebrew name Meir means "one who illuminates or radiates light". A 2nd century disciple of Rabbi Akiva, believed to have been named Mesha or Nehorai (Aramaic forms), was known as Rabbi Meir because of his keenness in shedding light on the Halacha (the Jewish Code of Law). Many Jewish family names derive from Meir, Yair ("he will illuminate"), the Aramaic Nehorai ("light") or their variants and patronymics, and Uri and Shraga (literally "fire").
As a family name, Meir is documented in Arles, France, in the 13th century. It appears as Meiger and Meyger in the 14th century in Strassbourg, as Meyr in 15th century France, as Maier in Germany in the 18th century. Other variants include May in Germany and Poland, Major in Turkey, both in the 16th century, Mayer in France and Germany, and M'riro and Merito in Morocco. As patronymics, families were called Meyerson, Meyerovitch, Meyrowitz, Merovic and Ben Meir, all meaning "son of Meir". In some cases, Majer is a toponymic (derived from a geographic name of a town, city, region or country). Surnames that are based on place names do not always testify to direct origin from that place, but may indicate an indirect relation between the name-bearer or his ancestors and the place, such as birth place, temporary residence, trade, or family-relatives. This surname is associated with the town of Mayen in the Rhineland. Maier is documented as a Jewish family name in the mid 18th century in Nancy in Paris, France. In the 20th century, Majer is recorded as a Jewish family name during World War II with Samuel Majer, who was deported from the Hungarian county of Hajdu to a German death camp in June 1944.
Surnames derive from one of many different origins. Sometimes there may be more than one explanation for the same name. This family name is a patronymic surname based on a male ancestor's personal name, in this case of biblical origin.
Majer, a variant of the German Meyer meaning "farmer" is a transliteration of the Hebrew male personal name Meir. In talmudic times, people credited with bringing light or intellectual clarity to their subject were given the name Meir, a biblical name mentioned in the Torah. The Hebrew name Meir means "one who illuminates or radiates light". A 2nd century disciple of Rabbi Akiva, believed to have been named Mesha or Nehorai (Aramaic forms), was known as Rabbi Meir because of his keenness in shedding light on the Halacha (the Jewish Code of Law). Many Jewish family names derive from Meir, Yair ("he will illuminate"), the Aramaic Nehorai ("light") or their variants and patronymics, and Uri and Shraga (literally "fire").
As a family name, Meir is documented in Arles, France, in the 13th century. It appears as Meiger and Meyger in the 14th century in Strassbourg, as Meyr in 15th century France, as Maier in Germany in the 18th century. Other variants include May in Germany and Poland, Major in Turkey, both in the 16th century, Mayer in France and Germany, and M'riro and Merito in Morocco. As patronymics, families were called Meyerson, Meyerovitch, Meyrowitz, Merovic and Ben Meir, all meaning "son of Meir". In some cases, Majer is a toponymic (derived from a geographic name of a town, city, region or country). Surnames that are based on place names do not always testify to direct origin from that place, but may indicate an indirect relation between the name-bearer or his ancestors and the place, such as birth place, temporary residence, trade, or family-relatives. This surname is associated with the town of Mayen in the Rhineland. Maier is documented as a Jewish family name in the mid 18th century in Nancy in Paris, France. In the 20th century, Majer is recorded as a Jewish family name during World War II with Samuel Majer, who was deported from the Hungarian county of Hajdu to a German death camp in June 1944.