Surname Horstmeier - Meaning and Origin

Horstmeier: What does the surname Horstmeier mean?

The last name Horstmeier is an occupational name, derived from ‘horst’, a German word meaning thicket. People with this last name likely originated from a region with thickets that they would hunt in or cut through.

Horstmeier was common in the northern part of Germany, particularly in the Lower Rhine area, during the Middle Ages. Those who used the name likely worked with timber or as gamekeepers, and also served as a guard to forested areas.

The variation Horstmayer typically referred to people in the olden days of Germany who worked in the forest collecting timber or herding animals. This version of the name was most prominent in Bavaria, located in south-central Germany.

Today this surname is popular all over Germany and the United States; it is also spelled differently in other countries, with variants such as Horestmayer, Hostmayer, Horstmayr, Horstmair, and Horstmeyer.

Overall, the last name Horstmeier is indicative of someone who is involved in forestry work, trade, or game-keeping, and could have originated from northern or southwestern parts of Germany.

Horstmeier: Where does the name Horstmeier come from?

The surname Horstmeier is most prevalent in Germany. It is distrubuted throughout the country and is most likely to be found in North-Rhine Westphalia and Lower Saxony where it ranks in the top 1000 common surnames.

The surname is likely to have originated in or near the villages of Horst in North-Rhine Westphalia and Ostermeier in Lower Saxony. The two areas are relatively close, so it is likely the two families merged to form the Horstmeier surname at some point in the past.

Since then, the name has spread throughout Germany, especially in the area around the two villages. It is also found in other parts of Europe such as in Austria and Switzerland and in other countries including the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Australia.

For Germany as a whole, roughly 0.006% of the population carries the surname Horstmeier, meaning there are around 26,000 people in the country with the name. The name is more common in the areas around Horst and Ostermeier, with some estimates suggesting around 1 in 200 people carry the name in the vicinity of the two villages.

Variations of the surname Horstmeier

The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname Horstmeier are Horstmaier, Horstmeyer, Horstmeir, Horstmayr, and Horstmayer.

Horstmaier or Horstmeyer is the oldest and most common version of the surname, and is of German origin. The earliest record of the name appeared in the year 1361, when Raimund Horstmaier was mentioned in a document from Bavaria. It is believed that the name is derived from the Middle High German word "horst" which refers to a small, isolated hill. The surname is generally found in regions such as Bavaria, Saxony, Baden-Wurttemberg, and Bavarian Swabia.

Other variants of Horstmeier are Horstmeir, Horstmayr, and Horstmayer. The earliest records of the variants appear in the late 17th century. These variants originated in German-speaking regions such as Austria, Switzerland, and the Alsace region of France.

Overall, all variants and spellings of the surname Horstmeier are of German origin, and generally refer to an isolated hill or mountain. The various spellings can be found in many parts of Europe, and vary according to regional dialects and transcription errors. It is commonly believed that all spellings, variants, and surnames of the same origin are descended from the same ancestral family.

Famous people with the name Horstmeier

• Erich Horstmeier: German retired football trainer and former professional player.
• Raoul Horstmeier: German composer and bassist.
• Mark Horstmeier: American professional baseball player.
• William Horstmeier: American current member of the Iowa House of Representatives.
• Chris Horstmeier: American collegiate baseball coach.
• Herbert Horstmeier: German former sprint canoer.
• Kristin Horstmeier: German track and field athlete.
• Gerhard Horstmeier: German retired footballer.
• Bruce Horstmeier: American former director of Army Research, Development, and Acquisition.
• Phil Horstmeier: American track and field athlete.
• Judy Horstmeier: American author.
• Helga Horstmeier: German former Olympic sprint canoer.
• John Horstmeier: German manager and current editor-in-chief of the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger.
• Reinhard Horstmeier: German rower.
• Nadine Horstmeier: German curler.
• Ulrike Horstmeier: German former Olympic sprint canoer.
• Marco Horstmeier: German former footballer.
• Paul Horstmeier: German former speed skater.
• Andreas Horstmeier: German football trainer and former professional player.
• Tobias Horstmeier: German former footballer.

Other surnames

Horstmeyer