Surname Pichlmeyer - Meaning and Origin

Pichlmeyer: What does the surname Pichlmeyer mean?

The last name Pichlmeyer is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German words "pichtel" or "pichtle," meaning "small or insignificant person." It is likely that this last name originated as a name given to someone small or of lack of importance.

The earliest known recorded Pichlmeyer can be found in East Prussia in 1604. This individual is recorded as Piter Pickelmeyere, a shoemaker.

The Pichlmeyer family was fairly well-known in East Prussia of the early 1600s. The family participated in armed service along with other Germans in the Thirty Years War.

In the late 19th century, the Pichlmeyers moved to the United States in search of better opportunities and freedom. Most of them settled in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and Texas.

Today, Pichlmeyer is an uncommon name among Americans, though there are those who still bear this last name. It's likely that they are the descendants of the German immigrants who sought freedom in the New World. The Pichlmeyers of today may not be as small or insignificant as their namesake would suggest. Instead, they are likely to be a diverse group of individuals with unique contributions to their communities.

Pichlmeyer: Where does the name Pichlmeyer come from?

The last name Pichlmeyer is most commonly found in the United States and Germany.

In the United States, Pichlmeyer is largely concentrated in the states of Illinois, Ohio and Indiana. The highest recorded population of Pichlmeyer in the country was in the 1940s in Wisconsin. The version of the name with the hyphenated spelling, Pichl-Meyer, is seen more prevalently in the Pacific Northwest states of Washington and Oregon. It is also found in scattered parts of the Midwest.

In Germany, the spelling of the name varies slightly to Pichlmaier. It can be found in the areas near Munich, Dresden, and in the Franken region. Additionally, Pichlmaier can be seen in Bavarian states like, Baden-Wurttemberg and Thuringia.

The origin of the Pichlmeyer surname is of German and French descent. It is believed to be derived from the old German personal name “first” and the Middle High German word “meiger” meaning someone who managed an estate. German variants of the name are also linked to the same French origin, which is an occupational term for a measuring instrument used in vineyards.

Overall, the last name Pichlmeyer is found today in the United States, particularly the Mid-west states, as well as in Germany. Within the United States, it is slightly more common to find the hyphenated version of the name, Pichl-Meyer.

Variations of the surname Pichlmeyer

The surname Pichlmeyer has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Some of these variants include Pichlmeir, Pichlmaier, Pichlmeyr, Pichlmayer, Pichlmair, Pichlmüller, Pichlemayer, Pichlmayr, and Pichlmeier.

The Pichlmeyer surname is of German origin and is derived from the male given name ‘Pechil’ or ‘Pechlmair’, which is a Latinized form of the old Germanic personal name ‘Biedelmeir’. This surname is believed to have originated in Bavaria, a region in south-east Germany.

The variants of Pichlmeyer are common in Germany and other German-speaking regions, as well as some other countries. The variants are usually derived from a dialectal interpretation of the surname, as it is often hard to differentiate a specific spelling from one region to another. For example, Pichlmeier, Pichlmeir, and Pichlmair are all Bavarian variations of the same surname.

The prevalence of the Pichlmeyer surname and its variants in non-German-speaking countries is usually due to emigration. During the 19th and 20th centuries, emigration was common from Germany, Austria, and other European countries, resulting in the spread of the Pichlmeyer surname to other regions.

In some instances, the Pichlmeyer and its variants may have been adapted into other languages and cultures. At least one example is known of the Pichlmeyer surname being changed into English as Picklemeyer.

Famous people with the name Pichlmeyer

• Lisa Pichlmeyer, a German equestrian athlete who competed in multiple world championships and won two bronze medals in eventing.
• Anna Pichlmeyer, an Austrian former figure skater who competed in the 1972 Winter Olympics.
• Ingo Pichlmeyer, a German former football player who played as a defender for Hamburger SV, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, FC Tirol Innsbruck, and Alemannia Aachen.
• Franz Pichlmeyer, an Austrian skier who won the MTB Cycle Cross World Championship in 1981 and 1983.
• Ludwig Pichlmeyer, an Austrian Olympian who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics.
• Daniel Pichlmeyer, an Austrian athlete who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics in fencing.
• Boris Pichlmeyer, an Austrian fencer who competed in the 1928 and 1932 Summer Olympics.
• Hanna Pichlmeyer, an Austrian skier who competed in the 1948 Winter Olympics.
• Manfred Pichlmeyer, a German football player who was part of the team that won the 1970 FIFA World Cup.
• Robert Pichlmeyer, a German actor best known for his roles in television series such as Unter uns and Ich bin ein Star: Holt mich hier raus.

Other surnames

PichlmeierPichlmeyr