Meir (Hebrew: מֵאִיר) is a Jewish male given name and an occasional surname. It means “one who shines”.[1] It is often Germanized as Maier, Mayer, Mayr, Meier, Meyer, Meijer, Italianized as Miagro, or Anglicized as Mayer, Meyer, or Myer.[2] Notable people with the name include:
Given name:
- Rabbi Meir, Jewish sage who lived in the time of the Mishna
- Jacob ben Meir, known as Rabbeinu Tam (1100–1171), renowned Ashkenazi rabbi, French Tosafist, and leading halakhic authority in his generation
- Meir Amit (1921–2009), Israeli general and politician
- Meir Ariel (1942–1999), Israeli singer/songwriter
- Meir Bar-Ilan (1880–1949), rabbi and Religious Zionism leader
- Meir Ben Baruch (1215–1293) aka Meir of Rothenburg, a German rabbi, poet, and author
- Meir Daloya (1956–2024), Olympic weightlifter
- Meir Dizengoff (1861–1936), Israeli politician
- Meir Har-Zion (1934–2014), Israeli commando fighter
- Meir Dagan (1945–2016), Mossad chief
- Meir Kahane (1932–1990), rabbi and political activist
- Meir Lublin (1558–1616), Polish rabbi, Talmudist and Posek
- Meir Nitzan (1931–2025), the mayor of Rishon-LeZion, Israel
- Meir Pa’il (1926–2015), Israeli politician and military historian
- Meir Shalev (1948–2023), Israeli writer
- Meir Shamgar (1925–2019), Israeli President of the Israeli Supreme Court
- Meir Shapiro (1887–1933), Hasidic Rabbi and creator of the Daf Yomi
- Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (1843–1926), rabbi and leader of Orthodox Judaism in Eastern Europe
- Meir Zorea (1923–1995), Israeli general and politician
- Meir Sheetrit (born 1948), a current Israeli Knesset member for the Kadima party
- Meir Talmi (1909–1994), Israeli politician
- Meir Tamari (1927–2021), South African-Israeli economist
- Meir Tapiro (born 1975), Israeli basketball player, and current CEO of Ironi Nes Ziona
- Meir Teomi (1898–1947), Ukrainian actor
- Meir Teper, American film producer and businessman
- Meir Tobianski (1904–1948), Israeli officer wrongly executed as a traitor
- Israel Meir Kagan (1838–1933), Polish rabbi, Halakhist and ethicist
- Yisrael Meir Lau (born 1937), the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, Israel
- Yitzchak Meir Alter (1799–1866), Polish rabbi and founder of the Ger (Hasidic dynasty) within Hasidic Judaism
Surname:
- Elchanan Meir (1936–2014), Israeli psychologist
- Eric Van Meir (born 1968), Belgian football manager
- Gideon Meir (1947–2021), Israeli diplomat
- Golda Meir (1898–1978), a founder of the modern State of Israel, Hebraicized from Meyerson
- Irit Meir (1957–2018), Israeli linguist
- Jessica Meir (born 1977), comparative physiology researcher, astronaut, and aquanaut
- Nati Meir (born 1955), Romanian politician
- Rami Meir (1962–2023), Soviet-born Israeli artist
- Yaakov Meir (1856–1939), Orthodox rabbi
- Yigal Meir (born 1957), Israeli theoretical physicist
Localities
- Meir, Antwerp, shopping street in Antwerp, Belgium
- Meir, Egypt
- Meir, Staffordshire
See also
- All pages with titles containing meir
- Meyr (disambiguation)
- Meyer (disambiguation)
- Myer (disambiguation)
- Mayer (disambiguation)
References
- ^ Anita Diamant, The New Jewish Baby Book: Names, Ceremonies, Customs: A Guide for Today’s Families (Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing, 1993).
- ^ Alfred J. Kolatch, These Are The Names (New York: Jonathan David Co., 1948), pp. 157, 160.