Contents [hide]

Mager History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Mager History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Mager is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Mager comes from the Norman given name Mauger. The name indicates one who is the son of Maugier, an Old French personal name, which is derived from the Old Germanic name Malger, which means council spear. 1

Early Origins of the Mager family

The surname Mager was first found in Normandy where Mauguer was the third son of Richard I, Duke of Normandy and his second wife, Gunnora. He ruled as Count of Corbeil through his wife Germaine de Corbeil.

Mauger (or Malger) was the youngest son of Richard II and his second wife, Papia of Envermeu. He rose to become Archbishop of Rouen in 1037. However, as he opposed the marriage of Duke William and Matilda of Flanders in 1049, he was banished from Rouen to the Isle of Guernsey. There he married Gisella or Guille "without sanction of the Church, he formed an intimacy that resulted in numerous progeny, some of whom took their father's, others their mother's name. 'Hence,' observes a correspondent 'Guilles and Maugers are as plentiful as blackberries on the Channel Islands'"2. The Norman poet Wace (c.1110-1174), related stories of his life on the Channel Islands some 100 years later.

Another Mauger was royal clerk and physician before he was elected to the see of Worcester in 1199, a position held until his death in 1212. Sir Mathias Mayer (Mayor), originally a Jerseyman was ancestor of the Majors of Hampshire.

In England, the Domesday Book of 1086 records the name as a surname in Latin form: Hugo filius Malgeri. 3 The same source also lists a variant, similarly in Latin: Drogo filius Matelgerii. 1 As a forename we find Malger filius Gilleberti in Nottinghamshire (1150-1160.) In Somerset, John Mauger or Malger was listed there in 1250 and later in the Assize Rolls on 1272. The place name "Tolleshunt Major (Essex) owes its attribute to the Domesday Book's Malger." 1

"The font-name was fairly popular in the 13th century. Mauger is found as a single personal name in the Hundredorum Rolls." 4 However, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had listings as a surname too: Thomas filius Mager in Lincolnshire; Walter Mauger in Cambridgeshire; and Richard Malgor in Buckinghamshire. 4

Early History of the Mager family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mager research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1469, 1550, 1615, 1655 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Mager History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mager Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Major, Mauger, Magor, Maior, Mayer, Mayor, Mager and others.

Early Notables of the Mager family

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mager Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mager Ranking

In the United States, the name Mager is the 11,025^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Mager family to Ireland

Some of the Mager family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mager migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Mager or a variant listed above:

Mager Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Peter Mager who settled in Virginia in 1663

Mager Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Nicolaes Mager, who arrived in New York in 1709 6
Adam Mager, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1738

Mager Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles, James, John, and Peter Mager all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860
Heinrich Mager, who arrived in New York, NY in 1872 6
Jakob Mager, who arrived in New York, NY in 1872 6
Katharina Mager, aged 31, who landed in America in 1892 6

Mager migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Mager Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Adam Mager, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Christian Mager, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Colberalle Mager, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
John Mager, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750

Mager migration to Australia +

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

Mager Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Mager, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Royal Admiral" in 1838 7
Elizabeth Mager, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Royal Admiral" in 1838 7
Mary Ann Mager, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Harpley" in 1849 8

Mager 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:

Mager Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Charles Mager, aged 18, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Mager (post 1700) +

Victor Mager (b. 1966), Russian lawyer
Aviv Mager (b. 1953), Israeli cardiologist
Manuela Mager (b. 1962), German two-time silver and bronze medalist figure skater
Karl Mager (1810-1858), German educator
Georges Mager (1885-1950), French musician, principal trumpet with the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1919 to 1950

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ROYAL ADMIRAL 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838RoyalAdmiral.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HARPLEY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Harpley.htm