This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Hayer family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Hayer Family History

Hayer Surname Meaning

South German: from an agent derivative of Middle High German heien ‘to guard or protect’ hence an occupational name for a warden of woodland or crops.

Norwegian: habitational name from any of several farms named Heier, plural of Old Norse heithr ‘heath, moor; isolated area’.

English: variant of Heyer.

French: occupational name for a warden of woodland from an agent derivative of Old French haye ‘hedge, enclosed forest’.

Indian (Punjab): Sikh name based on the name of a Jat clan of unexplained etymology.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Hayer family from?

You can see how Hayer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hayer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hayer families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there were 2 Hayer families living in North Carolina. This was about 33% of all the recorded Hayer's in USA. North Carolina had the highest population of Hayer families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hayer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Hayer ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Colliery Hewer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Hayer. 34% of Hayer men worked as a Colliery Hewer and 80% of Hayer women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Hayer were Sheet Metal Worker and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Hayer | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

England shown, United States data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Colliery Hewer
    34%
  • Carpenter joiner
    34%
  • Sheet Metal Worker
    34%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    80%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Shorthand Typist
    4%
  • Domestic Duties
    3%

What Hayer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 34,000 census records available for the last name Hayer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hayer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Hayer

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Hayer. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Hayer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Hayer. For the veterans among your Hayer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Hayer military records

You've only scratched the surface of Hayer family history

Discover More

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Hayer family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial