MESSER
Messer is a surname of German origin that entered the British Isles in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. The name derives from the Middle High German word mezzære, meaning “knife,” and is historically an occupational name for a cutler or knife‑maker. In some contexts it has been applied as a nickname to someone noted for carrying or wielding a knife.
Early documentary evidence demonstrates the surname in several variants. Records from the Danelaw Rolls of Lincoln date the name to 1172, with the spelling Roger Messer appearing for the first time. Further attestations include Erkbald le Messer of Lincoln (1180) and William le Messier in the Nottingham Rolls (1187). The name was also recorded in London as Roger Maysor (1561) and in the French Huguenot Church at Threadneedle Street as Susenne Macer (1623). Other historical spellings that appear in parish registers are Maser, Masser, Massier, Maysor and Measor.
When the surname was introduced to England during the Norman Conquest, it appears to have spread through both Anglo‑Norman and later Huguenot migrations. The Huguenot refugees of the period after 1580 brought the name to English shores, often with the French occupational form Messier, denoting a hayward, an official responsible for the gathering and protection of winter hay. The York and Lincolnshire districts contain numerous early registers of Messer families, reflecting their settlement in a region rich in agricultural activity.
In addition to its occupational meaning, the name is also a patronymic of Jewish provenance. In Israel, the name has been used as an Ashkenazic surname, sometimes adopted for its simplicity and ease of pronunciation but otherwise lacking a direct link to the knife trade. Where it appears in German and Swiss jurisdictions, the surname may also be habitational, derived from localities called Meser in Southern Germany or in Switzerland.
The surname Messer persists today chiefly in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. In Germany it retains the occupational connotation of a knifemaker or one who works with cutting tools, while in Britain it is found in a number of regions but is comparatively infrequent when measured against more common surnames. The contemporary spread reflects patterns of migration from Germanic lands to North America and beyond during the nineteenth century, as well as internal movements within the United Kingdom during the Industrial Revolution.
Typical given names associated with the Messer surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- Ian
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Alison
- Bridget
- Carol
- Elizabeth
- Ina
- Jane
- Julie
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Maureen
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Maser
- Masar
- Maiser
- Maaser
- Masera
- Messere
- Messeri
- Masero
- Masier
- Masiero
- Masior
- Masir
- Masor
- Massar
- Massara
- Massari
- Massaro
- Masser
- Massera
- Massery
- Massire
- Masur
- Masure
- Mayser
- Mazer
- Mazier
- Mazzer
- Measer
- Measor
- Measore
- Measure
- Meiser
- Meizer
- Meseer
- Meser
- Meserey
- Messar
- Messara
- Messarra
- Messerle
- Messerli
- Messers
- Messervy
- Messier
- Messor
- Messore
- Mesure
- Mezera
- Meziere
- Mascar
- Masiar
- Massawe
- Masseri
- Mazere
- Maziere
- Mazzier
- Measures
- Meesiri
- Meserve
- Mesher
- Mesker
- Messard
- Messari
- Messel
- Messem
- Messervey
- Messet
- Messmer
- Messner
- Mesuria
- Maisuria
- Meisuria
- Moeser
- Moser
- Musser
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Messer in...
Braille
⠍⠑⠎⠎⠑⠗
Morse
--.........-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,492 people named Messer in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,371st most common surname in Britain. Around 23 in a million people in Britain are named Messer.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Messer
- Frederick Messer - Member of Parliament (1886 to 1971)
- Bill Messer - Cyclist
- Robert Messer - Scottish football player (1887 to 1918)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.