Mayer

Mayer - A very unique male name

Mayer appeared on the charts for the first time in 1915 on position #1667. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Mayer and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Mayer? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Mayer. The baby boy name Mayer was given to 52 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1680 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 28,198 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Mayer peaked in popularity 75 years ago in 1951 on position 1097.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Mayer, 1-5?

Mayer is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Mayer is currently topping the baby name charts in New York at position #444 - and is the least popular in New Jersey at position #565.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Mayer is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Mayer origin and meaning

German / Hebrew — surname and name

Uncertain — Mayer is both a German occupational surname (a steward, bailiff or tenant farmer, related to Meier) and a form of the Hebrew name Meir, 'enlightened, one who shines'; American use draws on both

Mayer has been in US data since 1915 at low levels, reflecting both Jewish families using it for Meir and families adopting the German surname. Neither source can be credited for the name as a whole, so the origin is given as uncertain. It peaked recently, in 2021, with the surname-as-first-name trend.

Origin uncertain

Mayer is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Mayer, pop culture references for the name Mayer and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Mayer

We've found the following names that sound similar to Mayer, sorted by popularity.

Mario / Murray / Monroe / Mary / Mauro / Meir / Meyer / Maria / Murry / Mahir /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Mayer

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Mayer a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Mayer?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

MY-er · /ˈmaɪər/

Around the world

• Meir (Hebrew) — The Hebrew name Mayer often represents in Jewish use.

Spellings and nicknames

• Meyer — The more common surname spelling.
• Meir — The Hebrew name, a separate entry.

Famous bearers

• Mayer Amschel Rothschild — Frankfurt banker who founded the Rothschild banking dynasty, born with Mayer as his given name (1744–1812) Historical

Style

SurnameInternational

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Mayer for its distinguished surname style and, in many families, its link to the Hebrew Meir.

Worth knowing

• Most people will take it for a surname, and Mayer/Meyer/Meir spellings are easily confused.