Contents [hide]

Mayor History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Mayor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Spain
Ireland

The name Mayor was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. Mayor is based on 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 Mayor family

The surname Mayor 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 Mayor family

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

Mayor Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Mayor were recorded, including Major, Mauger, Magor, Maior, Mayer, Mayor, Mager and others.

Early Notables of the Mayor family

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

Mayor Ranking

In the United States, the name Mayor is the 12,780^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Mayor family to Ireland

Some of the Mayor 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.

Mayor migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Mayor arrived in North America very early:

Mayor Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Herman Mayor, who arrived in Maryland in 1661 6
Katherine Mayor, who arrived in Maryland in 1661 6
Maudline Mayor, who arrived in Maryland in 1661 6
Thomas Mayor, who arrived in Maryland in 1668 6

Mayor Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joanis Mayor, aged 24, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1741 6

Mayor Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Lastenia De Mayor, who landed in Peru in 1860 6
Elizth Mayor, aged 40, who landed in New York in 1864 6
Richard Mayor, aged 18, who landed in New York in 1864 6
Peter Mayor, who landed in Arkansas in 1890 6
Pierre Martin Mayor, who arrived in Arkansas in 1890 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mayor Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Jean Baptiste Mayor, who landed in Arkansas in 1900 6

Mayor migration to Australia +

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

Mayor Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Mayor, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Navarino" in 1848 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Mayor (post 1700) +

James C. Mayor, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Illinois State Senate 32nd District, 1936; Member of Illinois Democratic State Central Committee, 1938-43 8
Henry Mayor, American politician, Mayor of Frostburg, Maryland, 1907-08 8
Michel G. E. Mayor (b. 1942), Swiss professor of astronomy awarded the Balzan Prize in 2000, the Albert Einstein Medal in 2004 and the Shaw Prize in Astronomy in 2005
Mayor of Brooklyn, New York, 1888-91; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1888; U.S. Representative from New York 2nd District, 1891-92 9

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) NAVARINO 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Navarino.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html