Re: Wilhelm Maurer, Germany to USA, b. 1862
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In reply to:
Re: Wilhelm Maurer, Germany to USA, b. 1862
1/25/01
Maurer is a common surname in German-speaking countries. Very common. Not as common as Schmidt and Meier or Meyer, but common. Probably not in the top 10 Germanic names, but maybe in the top 100.
It means mason, as in stone or brick mason.
In the USA the name often mutates to Mowrer, which is my name, or Mowry, Mowrey or Mowery, or maybe Mower or Mourer. Be careful, though, as Mowry is also an English name.
I'm an American from Puyallup and Seattle, Washington, and I've been researching the Maurer name for about 20 years. I now live in the Heidelberg, Germany, area, and speak fluent German. Still don't know where my Maurer ancestors came from, though I suspect the Palatinte, on the left bank of the Rhine River. They probably were originally from Switzerland, though.
Hope this arrived in time for your school report.