Meyer
Meyer was given to 97 boys in 2025, #1,693 among boys’ names; 5,612 Americans have been recorded with it since 1881 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 2,250 Americans named Meyer and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (40% of everyone recorded); the median is 12 years old and half are between 6 and 30.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Meyer by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Meyer mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Meyer is “a male given name from Hebrew, of Jewish usage, an alternative form of Meir.” Its etymology gives the sense “leaseholder of a manor” (Meier).
As a German and Alemannic German surname, from the noun Meier (“leaseholder of a manor”). Compare Maier, Mayer, Meier, Myer.
As a Jewish surname, from Yiddish מאיר (mir). Compare Majer, Major, Mayor, Meir.
As a Dutch/West Flemish surname, variant of Meijer.
/ˈmaɪə(ɹ)/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Meyer?
#1,693 among boys’ names, 2025
Meyer rose from #1,994 in 2015 to #1,693 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 38.1 to 56.8 per million.
214 babies in 1917, the peak
Meyer peaked in 1917, when 214 boys were given it, #385 among boys’ names. The 105 births of 2025 (girls and boys) are 49% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 97 | #1,693 | 0.06 |
| 2024 | 91 | #1,803 | 0.05 |
| 2023 | 101 | #1,690 | 0.06 |
| 2022 | 90 | #1,812 | 0.05 |
| 2021 | 97 | #1,696 | 0.06 |
| 2020 | 80 | #1,863 | 0.05 |
| 2019 | 62 | #2,251 | 0.03 |
| 2018 | 67 | #2,112 | 0.04 |
| 2017 | 66 | #2,103 | 0.04 |
| 2016 | 77 | #1,915 | 0.04 |
Every recorded year (143)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 73 | #1,994 | 0.04 |
| 2014 | 64 | #2,147 | 0.03 |
| 2013 | 62 | #2,156 | 0.03 |
| 2012 | 56 | #2,315 | 0.03 |
| 2011 | 33 | #3,344 | 0.02 |
| 2010 | 36 | #3,159 | 0.02 |
| 2009 | 46 | #2,687 | 0.02 |
| 2008 | 36 | #3,199 | 0.02 |
| 2007 | 39 | #3,004 | 0.02 |
| 2006 | 23 | #4,176 | 0.01 |
| 2005 | 33 | #3,140 | 0.02 |
| 2004 | 17 | #4,927 | 0.01 |
| 2003 | 22 | #3,918 | 0.01 |
| 2002 | 13 | #5,616 | 0.01 |
| 2001 | 19 | #4,227 | 0.01 |
| 2000 | 26 | #3,262 | 0.01 |
| 1999 | 22 | #3,545 | 0.01 |
| 1998 | 23 | #3,350 | 0.01 |
| 1997 | 8 | #7,048 | under 0.01 |
| 1996 | 15 | #4,315 | 0.01 |
| 1995 | 20 | #3,392 | 0.01 |
| 1994 | 12 | #5,008 | 0.01 |
| 1993 | 22 | #3,106 | 0.01 |
| 1992 | 13 | #4,487 | 0.01 |
| 1991 | 8 | #6,317 | under 0.01 |
| 1990 | 21 | #3,018 | 0.01 |
| 1989 | 14 | #3,941 | 0.01 |
| 1988 | 13 | #3,820 | 0.01 |
| 1987 | 13 | #3,658 | 0.01 |
| 1986 | 13 | #3,579 | 0.01 |
| 1985 | 12 | #3,723 | 0.01 |
| 1984 | 11 | #3,841 | 0.01 |
| 1983 | 10 | #4,048 | 0.01 |
| 1982 | 7 | #5,407 | under 0.01 |
| 1981 | 5 | #6,927 | under 0.01 |
| 1980 | 5 | #6,916 | under 0.01 |
| 1979 | 11 | #3,727 | 0.01 |
| 1978 | 13 | #3,168 | 0.01 |
| 1977 | 10 | #3,756 | 0.01 |
| 1976 | 17 | #2,569 | 0.01 |
| 1975 | 16 | #2,601 | 0.01 |
| 1974 | 11 | #3,253 | 0.01 |
| 1973 | 22 | #1,962 | 0.01 |
| 1972 | 11 | #3,087 | 0.01 |
| 1971 | 8 | #3,843 | under 0.01 |
| 1970 | 8 | #3,725 | under 0.01 |
| 1969 | 6 | #4,250 | under 0.01 |
| 1968 | 6 | #3,986 | under 0.01 |
| 1967 | 10 | #2,716 | 0.01 |
| 1966 | 9 | #2,915 | 0.01 |
| 1965 | 6 | #3,798 | under 0.01 |
| 1964 | 7 | #3,500 | under 0.01 |
| 1963 | 12 | #2,495 | 0.01 |
| 1962 | 12 | #2,467 | 0.01 |
| 1961 | 11 | #2,648 | 0.01 |
| 1960 | 10 | #2,801 | under 0.01 |
| 1959 | 20 | #1,843 | 0.01 |
| 1958 | 19 | #1,872 | 0.01 |
| 1957 | 14 | #2,249 | 0.01 |
| 1956 | 17 | #1,996 | 0.01 |
| 1955 | 16 | #2,022 | 0.01 |
| 1954 | 6 | #3,694 | under 0.01 |
| 1953 | 11 | #2,488 | 0.01 |
| 1952 | 17 | #1,916 | 0.01 |
| 1951 | 16 | #1,951 | 0.01 |
| 1950 | 14 | #2,085 | 0.01 |
| 1949 | 12 | #2,299 | 0.01 |
| 1948 | 14 | #2,085 | 0.01 |
| 1947 | 19 | #1,767 | 0.01 |
| 1946 | 13 | #2,110 | 0.01 |
| 1945 | 17 | #1,674 | 0.01 |
| 1944 | 16 | #1,794 | 0.01 |
| 1943 | 9 | #2,675 | 0.01 |
| 1942 | 6 | #3,440 | under 0.01 |
| 1941 | 20 | #1,571 | 0.02 |
| 1940 | 12 | #2,152 | 0.01 |
| 1939 | 6 | #3,360 | 0.01 |
| 1938 | 10 | #2,428 | 0.01 |
| 1937 | 20 | #1,566 | 0.02 |
| 1936 | 16 | #1,771 | 0.02 |
| 1935 | 16 | #1,809 | 0.02 |
| 1934 | 20 | #1,591 | 0.02 |
| 1933 | 24 | #1,394 | 0.02 |
| 1932 | 17 | #1,828 | 0.02 |
| 1931 | 33 | #1,211 | 0.03 |
| 1930 | 35 | #1,210 | 0.03 |
| 1929 | 57 | #882 | 0.05 |
| 1928 | 73 | #758 | 0.07 |
| 1927 | 75 | #760 | 0.07 |
| 1926 | 85 | #690 | 0.08 |
| 1925 | 87 | #694 | 0.08 |
| 1924 | 106 | #621 | 0.09 |
| 1923 | 128 | #544 | 0.12 |
| 1922 | 140 | #529 | 0.13 |
| 1921 | 150 | #506 | 0.14 |
| 1920 | 132 | #533 | 0.12 |
| 1919 | 172 | #447 | 0.18 |
| 1918 | 183 | #439 | 0.18 |
| 1917 | 214 | #385 | 0.23 |
| 1916 | 210 | #381 | 0.24 |
| 1915 | 203 | #377 | 0.24 |
| 1914 | 186 | #343 | 0.28 |
| 1913 | 167 | #311 | 0.33 |
| 1912 | 143 | #301 | 0.33 |
| 1911 | 63 | #346 | 0.28 |
| 1910 | 52 | #358 | 0.27 |
| 1909 | 35 | #424 | 0.21 |
| 1908 | 45 | #340 | 0.29 |
| 1907 | 31 | #414 | 0.21 |
| 1906 | 16 | #607 | 0.12 |
| 1905 | 22 | #489 | 0.17 |
| 1904 | 27 | #405 | 0.21 |
| 1903 | 20 | #481 | 0.17 |
| 1902 | 22 | #451 | 0.18 |
| 1901 | 15 | #523 | 0.14 |
| 1900 | 19 | #573 | 0.13 |
| 1899 | 6 | #1,009 | 0.06 |
| 1898 | 11 | #691 | 0.09 |
| 1897 | 12 | #633 | 0.11 |
| 1896 | 14 | #580 | 0.12 |
| 1895 | 12 | #632 | 0.10 |
| 1894 | 6 | #1,038 | 0.05 |
| 1893 | 10 | #690 | 0.09 |
| 1892 | 7 | #920 | 0.06 |
| 1891 | 5 | #1,068 | 0.05 |
| 1890 | 7 | #854 | 0.06 |
| 1889 | 5 | #1,058 | 0.05 |
| 1888 | 6 | #1,004 | 0.05 |
| 1887 | 5 | #1,012 | 0.05 |
| 1885 | 5 | #1,039 | 0.05 |
| 1883 | 6 | #857 | 0.06 |
| 1882 | 5 | #1,043 | 0.04 |
| 1881 | 10 | #578 | 0.10 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Meyer a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 5,612 Americans recorded as Meyer, 4% are girls and 96% boys. In 2025 it went to 8 girls and 97 boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Meyer: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Meyer, and how old are they?
2,250 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 40% of the 5,612 Americans ever recorded as Meyer. The median Meyer alive today is 12 years old; half are between 6 and 30.
The 2020 Census counted 1,851 people named Meyer (202 women and girls, 1,649 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 1,733 born in the U.S. The Census count is 7% above that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 52 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 170 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 150 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 199 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 451 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 1,220 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Meyer born?
The states with the most babies named Meyer are New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois, with 81% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 2,152 | #875 | 4.9× |
| Pennsylvania | 281 | #1,369 | 0.8× |
| Illinois | 234 | #846 | 0.9× |
| New Jersey | 195 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| California | 93 | #2,130 | 0.3× |
| Ohio | 61 | not ranked | 0.3× |
| Texas | 59 | #1,721 | 0.2× |
| Massachusetts | 45 | not ranked | 0.3× |
| Michigan | 36 | not ranked | 0.2× |
| Missouri | 35 | not ranked | 0.3× |
Where Meyer is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Meyer is most over-represented in New York: since 1910 it was given 4.9 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Meyer with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 3 names spelled alike, given to 10,483 babies since 1880, Meyer is the most given (54% of them). In 2025 it was given to 105 of their 368 babies (29%), the second most given that year.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Meyer
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Meyer and names like it
- Compare Meyer and MeirBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1910sMeyer peaked in 1917.
- New York’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Meyer since 1910.
- The top names of 1917The year the most babies were named Meyer.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Meyer alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with MMost given first.