Using Ancestry's Surname Lookup, I put in "Masoner" and get this reply:
German (Tyrol): probably from a Rhaeto-Romansh occupational term for a stonemason or bricklayer. IGI. Not English - 1881 British census has 0; Not in RW, DEB, HB, BR, MTM, GFB.
I conclude that this answer is based upon the IGI and the 1881 census. My question: What does it signify that Masoner was not found in RW, DEB, HB, BR, MTM, GFB? What are these 6 sources and what does not being found in them suggest?