Show ContentsMawby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Mawby date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Mawby family lived in the settlement of Moreby in the East Riding of Yorkshire, or in the place named Moorby in Lincolnshire. The surname Mawby belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Mawby family

The surname Mawby was first found in East Riding of Yorkshire at Moreby with Stillingfleet, a township, in the parish of Stillingfleet, wapentake of Ouse and Derwent. The hamlet of Moreby has remained quite small over the years having a population of only 56 in the late 1800s. Moreby Hall, is a magnificent mansion in the Elizabethan style, is seated in a fine lawn on the east bank of the Ouse, and surrounded with trees of gigantic growth. 1 "The church [of Stillingfleet] is an ancient structure with some portions in the Norman style, and attached to it is a chapel containing a cross-legged figure in armour, of one of the family of Moreby." 1

Early History of the Mawby family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mawby research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1367, 1379, 1401 and 1675 are included under the topic Early Mawby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mawby Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Mawby are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Mawby include: Moorby, Mooreby, Moreby, Morbey, Morby, Moorbey and others.

Early Notables of the Mawby family

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


Canada Mawby migration to Canada +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Mawby or a variant listed above:

Mawby Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Silas Mawby U.E., (Mayby) who settled in Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 2

Australia Mawby migration to Australia +

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

Mawby Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Mawby, English convict who was convicted in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Candahar" on 26th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3

New Zealand Mawby 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:

Mawby Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Lawrence Mawby, who landed in Waikanae, New Zealand in 1840

Contemporary Notables of the name Mawby (post 1700) +

  • Russell G. Mawby (1928-2017), American academic and philanthropist, chairman emeritus of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation
  • Colin Mawby KSG (1936-2019), English organist, choral conductor and composer, Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral
  • Sarah Mawby (b. 1965), American-born British fencer
  • Raymond Llewellyn Mawby (1922-1990), British Conservative Party politician

Empress of Ireland
  • Miss Kathline Mary Mawby (1912-1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 4
  • Mrs. Elsie Mary Mawby (1883-1914), née Stubbings Canadian Third Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 4


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/candahar
  4. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html


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