Show ContentsBayer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Bayer family

The surname Bayer was first found in Gloucestershire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Bayer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bayer research. Another 53 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1273 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Bayer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bayer Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Bayer are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Bayer include: Beyer, Bayer, Beyere, Beier and others.

Early Notables of the Bayer family

More information is included under the topic Early Bayer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bayer Ranking

In the United States, the name Bayer is the 3,550th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1


Bayer migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Bayer or a variant listed above:

Bayer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jacob Bayer, who arrived in New York in 1715 2
  • Catharina Bayer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1720 2
  • Christopher Bayer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 2
  • Anna Bayer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 2
  • Katharina Bayer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bayer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Joh Bayer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1800 2
  • Louis Bayer, who landed in New York, NY in 1836 2
  • Kung Bayer, aged 8, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1845 2
  • Mary Bayer, aged 4, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1845 2
  • Marg Bayer, aged 11, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1845 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bayer migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bayer Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Emilia Bayer, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1897

Bayer migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bayer Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Bawden Bayer, aged 24, a miner, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Sumner"

Bayer migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bayer Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Eva Bayer, aged 19, a servant, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen Bee" in 1872

Contemporary Notables of the name Bayer (post 1700) +

  • Friedrich Bayer (1825-1880), German founder of what would become Bayer, the German chemical and pharmaceutical company in 1863
  • Herbert Bayer (1900-1985), Austrian-born, American graphic designer, painter, photographer, sculptor and art director
  • Frederick Merkle Bayer (1921-2007), American emeritus curator of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History
  • Bryce E. Bayer (1929-2012), American scientist for Kodak who invented the Bayer filter
  • Samuel David Bayer (b. 1965), American visual artist, cinematographer, commercial, music video and film director
  • Thomas Bayer, American public relations expert
  • Alvin Bayer III, prominent Florida dentist, chairman of the Nassau County Cancer Society, and chairman of the Nassau County United Fund
  • Osvaldo Bayer (b. 1927), Argentine writer and journalist
  • Josef Bayer (1852-1913), Austrian composer and the director of the Austrian Court Ballet from 1883 until his death
  • Carl Josef Bayer (1847-1904), Austrian chemist who invented the Bayer process of extracting alumina from bauxite
  • ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bismarck
  • Ernst Bayer (1922-1941), German Matrose who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 3
Halifax Explosion
  • Miss Dolly Marguerite  Bayer (1898-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 4


The Bayer Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Stet Fortuna Domus
Motto Translation: May the fortune of our house endure.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details
  4. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance


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