Meaning and background
The story behind Meyer
Meyer illustrates why surnames often require more than one explanation. A German line comes from Middle High German meier, referring to a steward or overseer and later a tenant farmer. An Ashkenazic Jewish surname line comes from Yiddish Meyer, related to Hebrew Meir and light. These are separate histories, even if the spelling matches. For a dog the two clear syllables work naturally, without forcing a single translation onto unrelated families.
- Origin
- German surname from Middle High German meier “steward, bailiff, overseer”, alongside a separate Ashkenazic Jewish surname from Yiddish Meyer, Hebrew Meir “enlightener”. Source
Try Meyer out loud
Everyday moments“Meyer, come here!”
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About Meyer
Recorded as a dog’s name
Meyer appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2016 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/maɪɚ/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/maɪɚ/ · primary stress on syllable 1M AY1 ER0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.