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Mayers History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Mayers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Israel
Ireland

The origins of the Mayers surname lie with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name Mayers began when someone in that family worked as a person who held the office of mayor. The surname was originally derived from the Old English word maire, which referred to the officer who was in charge of executing summonses and other legal matters. Therefore, the original bearer of the surname Mayers held the office of Mayor. 1

Early Origins of the Mayers family

The surname Mayers was first found in Cheshire at Mere, a township, in the parish of Rosthern, union of Altrincham, hundred of Bucklow. The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Mera. 2

Literally, the place name means "(place at) the pool or lake," from the Old English word "mere." 3 Alternatively, the surname could have originated at Mere in Wiltshire, a market-town and parish, and the head of a union, in the hundred of Mere. This parish was listed in the Domesday Book, but with the current spelling of Mere. 2

In this case, "the name of this place is derived from the Saxon word Mæra, signifying bounds or limits, and indicates its situation on the borders of the counties of Wilts, Somerset, and Dorset. In 1253, permission was given by Henry III. to Richard, Earl of Cornwall, to build and fortify a castle on his manor of Mere, and the manor has ever since been attached to the duchy of Cornwall. " 4

The family was listed in the Roll of Battle Abbey as companions to William the Conqueror. "The descendants of this Norman knight occupied a prominent position in Staffordshire, in the time of the early Plantagenets. William de Mere occurs as High Sheriff of that county, temp. Edward II., and in the next reign, Peter de la Mere filled the Speaker's chair in the House of Commons. At an early period, the family possessed the manor of Maer, co. Stafford, and are also found resident at Norton, in the Moors. The name is spelt, in ancient deeds, de Mere, de Mare, but the more recent orthography is Mayer. " 5

For centuries the township of Lartington in the North Riding of Yorkshire belonged to the Maire family until the 16th century when it was passed by marriage to the Lawsons, of Brough. 4

Early History of the Mayers family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mayers research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1379, 1453, 1467, 1477, 1544, 1550 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Mayers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mayers Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Mayers has appeared include Maire, Myer, Myers, Mair, Maires, Mayers, Meyers, Meire, Meir, Mere and many more.

Early Notables of the Mayers family

More information is included under the topic Early Mayers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mayers Ranking

In the United States, the name Mayers is the 4,303^rd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Mayers family to Ireland

Some of the Mayers family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 85 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mayers migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Mayers arrived in North America very early:

Mayers Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Solomon Mayers, who landed in Mississippi in 1860 7

Mayers migration to Australia +

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

Mayers Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Joseph Mayers, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. Stephen Mayers, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emperor Alexander"on 6th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
Mr. James Mayers, English convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Blundell" on 13th March 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10

Mayers 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:

Mayers Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

H Mayers, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841
G. R. Mayers, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Zealandia" in 1881

Contemporary Notables of the name Mayers (post 1700) +

Shannon Mayers, American actress, known for her work in The Drop (2010), Breaking at the Edge (2013) and Echo at 11 Oak Drive (2012)
Michael Mayers, American cinematographer, known for his work on The West Wing (1999), Spanking the Monkey (1994) and Class of Nuke 'Em High (1986)
Anthony J. "A.J." Mayers (b. 1987), American marketing coordinator for Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles
Francis L.S. Mayers, American co-founder of Mayers, Murray & Phillip, the architecture firm in New York city
Patric D. Mayers, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1988 11
Lawrence S. Mayers, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 20th District, 1944 11
John E. Mayers, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1916 11
John B. Mayers, American politician, Mayor of Littleton, Colorado, 1912-13 11
Fred Mayers, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1948; Socialist Labor Candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 18th District, 1960 11
Douglas L. Mayers, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 2008 11
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Mayers family +

Triangle Waist Company

Miss Rose Mayers, American worker who was at Triangle Waist Company factory at the Asch building in Greenwich Village on the 25th March 1911 when fire broke out; she survived the fire 12

Citations +

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)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
"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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emperor-alexander
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blundell
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (retrieved on 3rd August 2021.) Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire