Surname Christmeier - Meaning and Origin
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Christmeier: What does the surname Christmeier mean?
The last name Christmeier is an occupational name. It comes from the Medieval German word for a Christian steward or bailiff, often a local elected or appointed official with responsibility for judicial and fiscal matters. It was also used as a personal name on occasions and was adopted as a surname by people with the same profession.
In German, the name is also spelled Christmair, Christmayer, and Christmair. The root of the word is the word Christ, combined with Meier, which is an occupational name derived from the Old High and Middle Germanic words “maere” and “meiger”, meaning steward or bailiff.
This is an old surname that dates back to the late 11th century and is thought to have originated in the Bavarian region of Germany. It can be traced back to the noble families of the region who held the title of Meier as it was a highly regarded profession. Today, many Christmeiers live across Germany, in Austria, and in Switzerland.
The meaning of the name is generally conveyed as ‘steward of Christ’ or ‘Christ’s steward’. It is a reminder to that serves as a source of pride to its descendents to always uphold Christian values through service and stewardship.
Order DNA origin analysisChristmeier: Where does the name Christmeier come from?
The last name Christmeier is most commonly found in Germany today. It first appeared in Prussia, in the late 16th century and may originate from the Latin word “Christi” meaning “Christ”.
Most Christmeiers are found in North Rhine-Westphalia, a state in Western Germany, and there are also several occurrences in Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein and Bavaria.
According to the German census in 2019, around 9,481 people had the last name Christmeier, with a majority living in Mounts, a small rural region near the Bavarian border.
In the United States, Christmeier is increasingly becoming widespread, particularly in Ohio, with an estimated 572 people bearing the name currently living there.
The popularity of the name has risen sharply in the last 25 years due to a large influx of German immigrants, particularly from Bavaria, to the US.
Although the Christmeier name is not overly common in other parts of the world today, more and more people are beginning to take an interest in the surname as their ancestors’ roots become more important to them.
Variations of the surname Christmeier
Christmeier is a German surname, deriving from a combination of the words “christ” and “meier”. It is a patronymic name, meaning a name formed by the father's personal name, with the addition of the suffix “meier.” The name means “Christ’s son.”
Variations of the surname include Christmayer, Kristmeier, Kristmayer, Kilistmeier, Kliemeyer, Kleymeyer, Kleimüller, Christmüller, and Christmann.
Spellings of the surname also vary. Christmeier may also appear as Christmair, Christmayr, Chrystmair, Kleymair, Kleymayer, Klumayer, and Crismajer.
Surnames of a similar origin would be Christen, Christner, Christmann, Christner, and Christenberger.
Since German surnames were often changed to reflect local dialects, variations of Christmeier may appear in other forms in different parts of Germany, or in regions to which people with the same surname may have emigrated.
In addition, Christmeier may appear mispelled as Kristenmeyer or Kristeinder, due to phonetic similarities between the German and American pronunciations.
The variations of the name Christmeier provide clues about German heritage or when the individual or family with the surname emigrated. Many descendants of those bearing the Christmeier name live in the United States today.
Famous people with the name Christmeier
- Brandon Christmeier: A filmmaker from Texas, known for his work on the short films On_the_Edge and Donny and Claire.
- Don Christmeier: A former NFL player from Illinois, who played for the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Cardinals in the 1960s.
- Erich Christmeier: A German football player, who played for the clubs Kaiserslautern II, FSV Zwickau, Jahn-Delbrück, and Sportfreunde Siegen. He also played for the national German team in 1966.
- Sonja Christmeier: An Austrian cyclist who competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics and placed ninth in the individual pursuit event.
- Jarno Christmeier: A professional Dutch football player, who has played for various teams, including De Graafschap, Helmond Sport, and Eintracht Braunschweig.
- Claudia Christmeier: A German freestyle swimmer who won a bronze medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
- Hilke Christmeier: A German politician who was a member of the German Parliament from 1961 to 1972, and the first woman to be elected as a member of the Social Democratic Party from Schleswig-Holstein.
- John Christmeier: An American politician who represented Wisconsin's 28th district in the state senate.
- Walt Christmeier: An American artist and photographer who produces wall-sized fine art prints depicting abandoned buildings, factories, and railway stations.
- Laura Christmeier: A professional American beach volleyball player who currently competes with the USA Professional Beach Volleyball Tour.