Mai History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Italy

The German surname Mai first emerged in the Rhineland, and means, simply, "May." The name was most likely originally borne by someone who was either born in the month of May or particularly fond of the spring.

Early Origins of the Mai family

The surname Mai was first found in the Rhineland, where this family was a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always influential in social affairs, the family became an integral part of that turbulent region as it forged alliances with other families within the region and the nation.

Early History of the Mai family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mai research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1326, 1355, 1774 and 1838 are included under the topic Early Mai History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mai Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: May, Mai, Mais, Maye, Mey, de May, du May, Maya and many more.

Early Notables of the Mai family

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

Mai Ranking

In the United States, the name Mai is the 6,692^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Mai is ranked the 3,918^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2

Mai migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Mai Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Friederic Mai, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 3
Christoph Mai, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754 3

Mai Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Maria Margaretha Mai, who landed in North America in 1838 3
Philipp, II Mai, who arrived in North America in 1838 3
John Mai, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1843 3
Joh Anton Mai, who arrived in America in 1849 3
Jakob Mai, who landed in New York, NY in 1852 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Mai (post 1700) +

Angelo Mai (1782-1854), Italian Cardinal and philologist
Mai Shanley (b. 1963), American beauty queen and pageant holder, Miss New Mexico USA 1984
Mai Zetterling (1925-1994), Swedish actress/film director
Mai F. Surran, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1948 4

Historic Events for the Mai family +

Bismarck

Fritz Mai (1919-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 5

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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 2015, December 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details