Explore the Family Name Meir
The meaning of Meir
1. Jewish (Ashkenazic and Sephardic): from the Hebrew personal name Meir ‘enlightener’, a derivative of or ‘light’ with the prefix m-. Compare Meyer 2. 2. English: variant of Mayer or Mear (see Mears 1). Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Itzchak, Yoav, Amikam, Aryeh, Asher, Avi, Avner, Avraham, Dror, Eran, Gadi, Itshak.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Meir in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Meir has seen a slight decrease in its popularity ranking from 2000 to 2010, moving from rank 39,444 to 40,016. Despite this decline in rank, the count of individuals with the Meir surname increased by 4.38%, from 525 persons in 2000 to 548 in 2010. The proportion per 100k people remained steady at 0.19 during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #39,444 | #40,016 | -1.45% |
| Count | 525 | 548 | 4.38% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Meir
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname Meir, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates some changes between 2000 and 2010. In 2010, 90.15% of those bearing the surname identified as White, up from 88.00% in 2000. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic decreased slightly, while the proportion of individuals reporting two or more races dropped significantly, from 3.05% in 2000 to 2.01% in 2010. It is noteworthy that no individuals with the Meir surname identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in the 2010 census, whereas small percentages had done so in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88% | 90.15% | 2.44% |
| Hispanic | 4.57% | 4.38% | -4.16% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.1% | 2.01% | -4.29% |
| Two or More Races | 3.05% | 2.01% | -34.1% |
| Black | 1.33% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.95% | 0% | 0% |