Show ContentsMayberry History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the Mayberry family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Cheshire, at the manor of Marbury, from whence they took their name. However, we must look to Normandy to find the first record of the family. It was there that "Nicholas Merbury, Butler of the King, Normandy" [1] was found 1180-1195.

Alternatively, the family could have descended from Marlborough, a borough and market-town, and the head of a union, in the hundred of Selkley in Wiltshire.

"The name, anciently written Marleberg, or Marlbridge, is supposed to be derived from the marl, or chalk, hills by which the town is surrounded. At the time of the Norman survey [(1086]), Marlborough had a church, and was held in royal demesne; soon after, a castle was erected, which seems to have been the cause of the subsequent enlargement of the town. In the time of Richard I., and during his imprisonment in Austria, his brother John took possession of this fortress; but Richard, on his return from captivity, seized it, with all the other possessions belonging to his brother, and on their reconciliation he still retained the castle of Marlborough in his own hands. " [2] In this case, the first on record was Alured de Merleberge who held lands here at the time of the Domesday Book of 1086. [1]

Early Origins of the Mayberry family

The surname MayBerry was first found in Cheshire at Marbury, a township, in the parish of Great Budworth, union of Northwich, hundred of Bucklow. [2] [3]

The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Merberie and was held by William Malbank, who held them from Earl Harold. [4] Literally, it means "fortified place near a lake," from the Old English words "mere" + "burh." [5]

One of the first records of the family in England was Thomas of Marlborough (died 1236), a medieval English monk and writer, Abbot of Evesham Abbey in 1230.

A few years later, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed John de Marleberge as holding lands in Oxfordshire at that time. [3]

Early History of the Mayberry family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mayberry research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1404, 1414, 1425, 1456, 1528, 1555, 1610, 1611, 1626 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Mayberry History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mayberry Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Marbury, Marburie, Marberrie, Marberry, Merbury, Marburry, Marburrie, Marbery, Marberie and many more.

Early Notables of the Mayberry family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Merbury of Lyonshall and Weobley, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1404 and 1425; John Merbury of Lyonshall and Weobley, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1414; Sir Laurence Murberry, High Sheriff of...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mayberry Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mayberry Ranking

In the United States, the name Mayberry is the 1,916th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. [6]

Ireland Migration of the Mayberry family to Ireland

Some of the Mayberry family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States MayBerry migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Mayberry or a variant listed above:

Mayberry Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Alexander Mayberry, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1871 [7]
  • Samuel Mayberry, who landed in Colorado in 1888 [7]
  • Henry Mayberry, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States from Castlebar, in 1893
  • John Mayberry, aged 22, who immigrated to America from Castlebar, in 1893
  • Emma Mayberry, aged 21, who settled in America, in 1895
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Mayberry Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • John Mayberry, who arrived in Colorado in 1902 [7]
  • James Mayberry, aged 30, who landed in America from Belfast, in 1905
  • Alice Mayberry, aged 40, who immigrated to America, in 1906
  • Charles H. Mayberry, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States from Dkibbereen, Ireland, in 1907
  • John Mayberry, aged 29, who landed in America from Belfast, in 1907
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name MayBerry (post 1700) +

  • Mariann Mayberry (1965-2017), American television and stage actress, known for her work on War of the Worlds, August: Osage County and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
  • Brigadier-General Hugh Tullock Mayberry (1892-1970), American Assistant Commanding General 99th Division (1944-1945) [8]
  • Anthony "Tony" Mayberry (b. 1967), retired German-born, American NFL football player
  • John Claiborn Mayberry Jr. (b. 1983), American Major League Baseball outfielder
  • Jermane Timothy Mayberry (b. 1973), retired American NFL football offensive lineman
  • John Claiborn Mayberry (b. 1949), American retired Major League Baseball player
  • H. H. Mayberry, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1908 [9]
  • George L. Mayberry, American politician, Mayor of Waltham, Massachusetts, 1890-91 [9]
  • Franklin H. Mayberry (b. 1860), American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from East Hartford, 1895-96, 1903-04, 1923-24; Member of Connecticut State Senate 4th District, 1905-06 [9]
  • Florence Mayberry, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Nevada, 1940 [9]
  • ... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. 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)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  5. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. 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)
  8. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2013, February 12) Hugh Mayberry. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Mayberry/Hugh_Tullock/USA.html
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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