Mayson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The ancient name Mayson is a Norman name that would have been developed in England after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. This name was a name given to a person born or baptized in the month of May. The name Mayson is derived from the Old French word mai, which has cognates in the other European languages that were all derived from the Latin word Maius. 1

Robert, Ralph de Mai and Robert Mai were listed in Normandy 1180-1198 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae) 2

Early Origins of the Mayson family

The surname Mayson was first found in Lincolnshire where Johannes filius Maie was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1274. A few years later, Elenza May was found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301 and the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 includes an entry for May de Hindley. William Mai was found in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1167 and a later Pipe Rolls included William le Mal in 1177. Thomas le Mey and Goscelin Mey were both listed in Suffolk in 1221. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls also includes: Richard le May, Huntingdonshire; Bateman le May, Bedfordshire; Cristin le May, Cambridgeshire; Roger filius Maye, Shropshire; John Filius Maye, Lincolnshire; and Emman le May, Oxfordshire. 4

In Scotland, "William May rendered homage at Berwick, 1291. David May had a feud of the lands of Chapeltoun of Both from the Abbey of Culross, 1587. Alexander May appears in Bourhillis, Aberdeenshire, 1597 and John Maii in Harvestoun in Tillycultrie, 1638, and Robert Maii in Dunglas, 1640. The family is associated with Clan Macdonald where it is a form of Omay." 5

Early History of the Mayson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mayson research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1291, 1573, 1604, 1605, 1611, 1614, 1621, 1624, 1625, 1626, 1628, 1629, 1630, 1640, 1642, 1655, 1665, 1684, 1685, 1698, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Mayson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mayson 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 Mayson were recorded, including May, Mai, Maye and others.

Early Notables of the Mayson family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Humphrey May (1573-1630), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Bere Alston (1605-1611), Westminster (1614), Lancaster (1621-1624) and 1625, and Leicester (1624-1625) and (1626-1629); Thomas May (c.1604-1655), an English...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mayson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mayson family to Ireland

Some of the Mayson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 93 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mayson 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 Mayson arrived in North America very early:

Mayson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jane Mayson, who arrived in Virginia in 1662 6

Mayson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Mayson, who landed in Virginia in 1714 6
Dorothy Mayson, who landed in Virginia in 1714 6

Mayson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles C Mayson, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1824 6

Mayson Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

George J. Mayson, aged 25, who landed in America from Liverpool, England, in 1910
Herbert Mayson, aged 28, who landed in America from Andenshaw, England, in 1910
Hillyer R. Mayson, aged 48, who immigrated to the United States from W. Hartlepool, Englaand, in 1915
Harry Mayson, aged 26, who immigrated to America from Rochester, England, in 1918
F. Mayson, aged 17, who settled in America, in 1920
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Mayson (post 1700) +

Ginger Mayson (1954-2023), American college volleyball coach at the University of South Alabama and assistant coach for Kansas State for the 1985 season
C. G. Mayson, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Mississippi, 1920 7
Thomas Mayson (1886-1972), English professional footballer who played as an inside forward (1907-1923)
Tom Fletcher Mayson VC (1893-1958), English recipient of the Victoria Cross for actions during the Battle of Pilckem Ridge of the Battle of Passchendaele
Isabella Mary Mayson (1836-1865), birth name of Isabella Mary Beeton, English journalist, editor and writer of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management
Richard Mayson (b. 1941), born Charles Richard Mayson, former New Zealand politician of the Labour Party, born in Nelson

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html