Surname Lackmeier - Meaning and Origin
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Lackmeier: What does the surname Lackmeier mean?
The surname Lackmeier is an occupational surname, with the name translating to “lacemaker” in German. The “Lack” element of the surname refers to the making of lacquer or varnish, while “meier” is an old German word meaning “mayor”, indicating that the original bearers of the name were perhaps related to or involved in the lacquer or varnish trade at a municipal or official level.
The occupation of lacemaking was particularly popular in southern Germany during the 16th and 17th centuries, with the trade playing a very important role in the production of musical instruments, such as flutes and violins. This craft was also used to produce chests, furniture and decorations. Lacemakers often traveled from town to town to advertise their services, meaning that those bearing the Lackmeier surname may have originated from one of these traveling families.
As lacemaking declined during the 18th century, some families bearing the name Lackmeier may have changed to other occupations. The 18th century also saw an increase in emigration from the German states to lands such as North America, meaning that some Lackmeiers may have spread to other countries and continents. Today, the surname is still present in countries across the world.
Order DNA origin analysisLackmeier: Where does the name Lackmeier come from?
The last name Lackmeier is most commonly seen in the United States and Germany.
In the US, Lackmeier families are found mainly in Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Louisiana. In Germany, the name is particularly popular in the Rhineland region, including cities such as Obersteinbach, Neuwied, Bad Dürkheim, and Neudorf. There are also a few Lackmeiers in Austria.
The origin of the Lackmeier surname is not known for certain, but is believed to be derived from the medieval given name "Lackmar". It is thought that the word "Lack" comes from the Germanic word "laka" meaning "light or bright", and "-mar" is an old German suffix meaning "famous".
In the US, Lackmeier families have lived in the Midwest, particularly Missouri, for many generations. In the mid 1800s, several Lackmeier families moved westward, settling in Iowa and Wisconsin, while others stayed in the Midwest. Immigrants from Germany and Austria brought the surname with them in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
It is believed that the Lackmeiers of today are descended from a same ancestor living in Germany during the Early Middle Ages. Despite being widely spread out today, many Lackmeiers are related and can trace their heritage back to the same family.
Variations of the surname Lackmeier
The surname Lackmeier is of German origin. It is a combination of two elements: 'lack' which means 'pale' or 'pallid' and 'meier' which is an old term for 'servant' or 'administrator'. It is most commonly found in the German speaking countries of Central Europe and is variously recorded as Lackmeier, Leckmeier, Lackmaier, Lackmayer, Lachmeier, Lachemeyer, Lakemeier and Lechmeier.
The earliest record of the surname dates back to the 1600s, when Georg Lackmaier was recorded as living in the small town of Wadgassen, Germany on September 9, 1664. By the late 1700s, various spellings of the surname were to be found in the adjacent counties of Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate and the German/Dutch border region of the Upper-Rhine Valley.
In the years that followed, the variant spellings of Lackmeier began to spread throughout Germany and other parts of Europe. Among the earliest records of the surname outside Germany are found in the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria and the Czech Republic. Migration to other countries in the 1800s led to the name’s expansion into the United States, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.
During the 20th century, variants of the Lackmeier surname spread to other parts of the world, most notably to Latin America, Australia and Scandinavia.
Although the spellings of the surname have changed over the years, all of the variant forms refer back to one common ancestor. To this day, Lackmeier remains an uncommon surname, with reliable records showing fewer than 3,000 families bearing the name.
Famous people with the name Lackmeier
- Elmer Lackmeier: A German film director who directed a handful of films in the early 1960s.
- John Lackmeier: An American professional golfer who has appeared in a total of 17 events since 2012 as part of the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour.
- Liz Lackmeier: An American professional golf instructor, who has taught and coached a number of professional players, including Nick Faldo, Jack Nicklaus, Annika Sorenstam, and John Daly.
- Uwe Lackmeier: An German professional skier and janicom of the German Alpine Ski team.
- Frederick Lackmeier: A Swiss-American physicist known mainly for his work in exploring the properties of nuclear forces. His work focused on understanding how the forces that act at the level of the nucleus interact to form the nuclear force.
- Paul Lackmeier: A German doctor and professor, who works at the University of Munich and specializes in the fields of medical physics, ultrasound, and MRI.
- Erika Lackmeier: A German writer and journalist, who has written for a number of publications, including the Süddeutsche Zeitung and various travel magazines.
- Michael Lackmeier: An American artist and curator, who is the co-director of the Marlborough Chelsea gallery in New York City. He is also an editor-at-large of the arts journal Smartish Pace.
- Richard Lackmeier: A German painter and filmmaker, who is best known for his watercolour compositions and videos. He has exhibited all over the world, and his work has been featured in museums such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.
- Jeanette Lackmeier: An American costume designer who has designed costumes for various films, television series and plays. She has also written and directed a few short dramas.