Explore the Family Name Moyer
The meaning of Moyer
1. Americanized form of German Meyer or Mayer. 2. French: status name for a sharecropper, from an angent derivative of Old French moie ‘half’. 3. In some cases also an Americanized form of Dutch Mooijer: surname associated with Maaijer, an occupational name for a mower or reaper (see Maier). However, almost all bearers come from Volendam (North Holland), where the surname originated as Pooijer, possibly a metonymic occupational name for a fisherman (peurder) or a nickname for someone carrying a ponjaard ‘dagger’. The surname was changed to Mooijer due to the connotation with Dutch pooier ‘bully, fancy-man’. History: As a name of Swiss German origin (see 1 above) the surname Moyer is quite common among the Mennonites in PA (see Meyer).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Moyer in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Moyer has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Moyer was ranked as the 871st most popular surname in the United States, whereas by 2010 it had slipped to the 935th position, reflecting a decline of 7.35%. However, despite this drop in rank, the actual count of people bearing the surname increased from 36,421 in 2000 to 37,050 in 2010, representing a growth of 1.73%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #871 | #935 | -7.35% |
| Count | 36,421 | 37,050 | 1.73% |
| Proportion per 100k | 13.5 | 12.56 | -6.96% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Moyer
On the topic of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals a change in the ethnic identity of individuals with the Moyer surname between 2000 and 2010. A significant increase was observed among those identifying as Hispanic, with a rise of 75.23%, as well as those identifying with two or more races, seeing a growth of 51.58%. The proportion of Moyers identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander also increased by 31.71% during this period. Conversely, there was a slight decrease of 1.65% in the proportion of individuals identifying as White and a negligible decline of 2.86% for those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native. The proportion of Moyers identifying as Black saw an increase of 6.19% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.94% | 93.37% | -1.65% |
| Black | 2.26% | 2.4% | 6.19% |
| Hispanic | 1.09% | 1.91% | 75.23% |
| Two or More Races | 0.95% | 1.44% | 51.58% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 0.54% | 31.71% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.35% | 0.34% | -2.86% |
Moyer ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Moyer is French & German, which comprises 42.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (35.5%) and Eastern European (5.4%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 42.0% |
| British & Irish | 35.5% |
| Eastern European | 5.4% |
| Other | 17.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Moyer
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Moyer have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 77.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 77.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 77.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 77.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 77.20% |
What Moyer haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Moyer is R-Z19, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z19 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include E-V13 and R-L664, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Myers, Sutton, Bryan, Randall, Meier, Lawrence, Meyer, Meyers, Weber, Schroeder.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Moyer surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Moyer have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Moyer" Surname 41.2%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Moyer" Surname 25.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Moyer" Surname 23.7%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Moyer" Surname 17.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Moyer?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Moyer are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition