Mayer

♂ Boy

Pronounced MAYEHR /ˈmeɪɛr/Medium

Meaning: Mayor, leaderMedium

In 30 seconds: Mayer is an English boy's name meaning 'mayor' or 'leader', drawn from the word for a town's chief official. The variant Meyer is its close companion.

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Origin MediumEnglish, Jewish

MeaningMayor, leader

U.S. rank (2025)#1898 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births83 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2021

Total births (all-time)≈ 2,545

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Mayer carries the straightforward meaning 'mayor, leader', tied to the title of a town's principal officer. Like other status surnames, it crossed into use as a given name. Its most noted bearer, the financier Mayer Amschel Rothschild, fixed the spelling firmly in the historical record.

The variant Meyer sits right beside it and is the more familiar form to many. Both share a soft 'my-er' sound that works equally as a surname or a first name.

Did you know? Mayer is a spelling variant of Meyer, so it keeps the same core meaning of 'mayor, leader' while changing the visual style.

Overall data confidence 62%

Behind the Name - Mayer — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

Meyer

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812)
Male public figure listed on Behind the Name.

If you like Mayer…

Meyer— The variant spelling of Mayer listed in its own data.

Major— Shares Mayer's theme of a title of rank used as a name.

Slater— a fellow English choice

Alexzander— another modern pick

Zyler— a fellow English choice

Explore names like Mayer

By thememodern english jewish

By meaningLeader

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Mayer mean?

Mayer is usually explained as meaning 'mayor, leader' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Mayer?

It's commonly said MAYEHR /ˈmeɪɛr/.

Is Mayer a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Mayer is used as a boy name.

How popular is Mayer?

In 2024, Mayer ranked #1840 in the U.S. for boys, with 88 births recorded.