Maid Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Maid was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Maid family lived in Cheshire. Before migrating to Normandy and then England, this family was originally the lords of Monte Alto, in Italy. Their name is thought to be a version of this place-name which underwent significant corruption through translation through several languages before being Anglicized.

Early Origins of the Maid family

The surname Maid was first found in Cheshire where the family of Maude, originally the Lords of Monte Alto, in Italy, settled in the Lordships and manors of Montalt and Hawarden in the county of Flint.

Early History of the Maid family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maid research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1174 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Maid History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maid Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Maude, Maud, Mawd, Mold, Mould, Moulds, Molds and others.

Early Notables of the Maid family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Maid Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Maid family to Ireland

Some of the Maid family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maid migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Maid or a variant listed above:

Maid Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Maid, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1852 1

Citations +

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)