Anyone know where the name Meeker comes from?

**Nordish Persephone** · 03-04-2010, 10:17 PM

This is my mom's surname and I'm guessing its either German or English. For some reason, I can't find any information about my mom's side. I only know back to my g-grandparents on that side. My mom insists that the g-grandfather who had this name had a German personality lol and looked Germanish. What is most likely the origin of this name?

**Electronic God-Man** · 03-04-2010, 10:29 PM

All instances of the name Meeker that I have come across were English.

**~~Guapo~~** · 03-04-2010, 11:16 PM

Gaelic (Meagher/Meachair=kindly)

**~~Osweo~~** · 03-04-2010, 11:30 PM

It's not in my dictionary. There is Meeger, Meager, Meegher etc. from French meagre, Latin macer, meaning a thin person, but that might not be related.

You might best trust your mother. Maybe it's a German name that's been a bit mangled in the Anglophone environment there. The way to determine, is to investigate that line as much as you can. What forenames did they have? What was thei religion? Were there many German migrants to the particular region of the particular state that you can trace the name back to?

**~~Aemma~~** · 03-04-2010, 11:44 PM

Any relation to Canadian Howie Meeker?

**Nordish Persephone** · 03-04-2010, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by Osweo

It's not in my dictionary. There is Meeger, Meager, Meegher etc. from French meagre, Latin macer, meaning a thin person, but that might not be related.

You might best trust your mother. Maybe it's a German name that's been a bit mangled in the Anglophone environment there. The way to determine, is to investigate that line as much as you can. What forenames did they have? What was thei religion? Were there many German migrants to the particular region of the particular state that you can trace the name back to?

Thats what I tried to figure out. I tried looking up Meekers in all of the Maryland online sources but I couldn't find anything on them. None of them were related to me. That side of the family was Catholic I'm pretty sure. It would be very easy to figure out where it originated if I could trace it back, but I don't know how to do that at this point. I was just trying to pick everyone's brain to see if they knew anything.

**~~Aemma~~** · 03-04-2010, 11:53 PM

Originally Posted by Pale Fire

Thats what I tried to figure out. I tried looking up Meekers in all of the Maryland online sources but I couldn't find anything on them. None of them were related to me. That side of the family was Catholic I'm pretty sure. It would be very easy to figure out where it originated if I could trace it back, but I don't know how to do that at this point. I was just trying to pick everyone's brain to see if they knew anything.

I found this if it helps...(scroll down some on the page)

Meeker: Dutch and Belgian:
1. occupational name from Middle Dutch maker, Brabant-Limburg dialect meker ‘maker’, ‘craftsman’.2. from the Germanic personal name Magherus.

http://names.whitepages.com/Robert/Meeker

**Óttar** · 03-05-2010, 01:25 AM

A long line of prominent family members of mine had the last name Meekins. It was English with ties to the French Makin (sp).

In regards to the etymology of Meeker that Aemma provided, I'm wondering if Makin (sp) has a connection to the French maçon.

I.e. craftsman, (mason) etc.