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Mayer

Mayer: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“greater; steward”
Origin
Germanic
Say it
MY-er · 2 syllables
Used for
Boys (98% of all uses)

Used as a surname and given name. It can reflect German Meyer/Mayer 'steward, bailiff'; in Jewish use it may also represent a form of Meir 'one who gives light'.

German namesEnglish namesNames meaning lightSurname-style namesInternational names

How popular is Mayer?

202430.0 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Mayer in 2024100

2024 rank#1,835 boys

Peak year2024

Total US babies since 18802,521

Mayer is rising: use over the last five years is 1.9× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Mayer

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Meirone who gives light · Hebrew
  • Williamresolute protector · Germanic
  • Henryhome ruler · Germanic
  • Charlesfree man · Germanic
  • Milessoldier or merciful · Germanic
  • Robertbright fame · Germanic
  • Milogracious; dear · Germanic
  • Luisfamous warrior · Germanic

Mayer questions

What does the name Mayer mean?

Mayer means "greater; steward". It comes from Germanic. Used as a surname and given name. It can reflect German Meyer/Mayer 'steward, bailiff'; in Jewish use it may also represent a form of Meir 'one who gives light'.

Is Mayer a boy or girl name?

Mayer is mainly a boy's name in US records (98% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Mayer?

100 US babies were named Mayer in 2024. Its peak year was 2024.

How do you pronounce Mayer?

Mayer is usually pronounced MY-er.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.