Geiger
A German occupational surname meaning a violin player or fiddler.
The #1,634 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 14,009 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Geiger comes from German Geiger, meaning "fiddler" or "violin player." It is tied to Geige, the German word for "violin," plus the agentive ending -er, "one who does something." In older surname work, it is regularly explained as an occupational name for a musician, especially a fiddler.
History
The surname is well established in German-speaking areas and later spread widely through migration into Central Europe and beyond. Historical surname dictionaries also treat it as a straightforward occupational name, not a place-name or nickname. It remains fairly common in German-American communities and among descendants of German emigrants.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In old surname dictionaries, Geiger is often listed alongside other plainly occupational German names like Fischer, Gerber, and Fiedler.
From the historical record
“Caiger. Dch. Keja, Kagie; Fl., G. Geger, Geiger; p.n. Cain. See Caine Caine. From Cahaignes ; a loc. n., Normandy. D.B. de Cahainges.”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (1st ed.)Notable people named Geiger
- Hans Geiger (1882–1945)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.