Meyers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A family name of German origin, borne by many different people and sometimes written as a variant of Myers
2. A surname of German descent carried by numerous individuals across various fields and countries
3. The family name of German background, shared by many people and occasionally spelled Myers or Meier

Etymology: "Meyers" is simply the plural of "Meyer," a surname, so its story is really the story of the surname. The name has several roots. In German and Alemannic German it comes from "Meier," meaning a leaseholder who managed a manor's farmland on behalf of its lord. Among Jewish families it derives from the Yiddish name מאיר (mir), linked to the Hebrew name Meir. In Dutch and West Flemish use it appears as a variant of "Meijer," following the same pattern of the manor-steward name. Because so many unrelated families carried the name, the plural "Meyers" is most often used to refer to a family group, as in "the Meyers," or to several people sharing the surname. Its different origins show how one spelling can gather together people whose ancestors held very different roles, whether as farm managers in German lands or as bearers of a Hebrew given name.