Show ContentsMayville History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Mayville family

The surname Mayville was first found in Staffordshire or Sussex where we find parishes named Mayfield. The Staffordshire parish dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was known as Medevelde. [1] The Sussex parish was originally known as Magavelda in the 12th century. Both parishes have very different histories.

The Sussex parish dates back to "Henry III. [who] granted a charter for a market and two fairs to be held here; the former has long been disused, and the latter are on May 30th for pedlery, and November 13th for cattle and pedlery. A great fire broke out at Mayfield in 1389, which burned the church and the greater part of the village. " [2]

The Staffordshire parish dates back to Roman times where "this place, from the discovery of Roman antiquities in the immediate vicinity, is supposed to have been occupied by the Romans: in digging a morass, vestiges of a paved road were discovered, and traces of an old fortification have been found at a place called Clines. " [2]

Both parishes literally mean "open land where madder grows," from the Old English "maeddre" + "feld." [3] [4] [5] Rose Madder or Common Madder or Dyer's Madder, is a herbaceous perennial plant species belonging to the bedstraw and coffee family Rubiaceae.

Ironically, we must look to Kent to find the first record of the family. For it is here that Phillip de Maleville was recorded 1210-1212. Much later, William Mayfeild was listed in Devon in 1642. [6]

More recently, the surname is common in Nottinghamshire and this may an additional point of origin. [7]

Early History of the Mayville family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mayville research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Mayville History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mayville Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Mayfield, Mayville, Mayfeld, Maifield, Mayfeild and many more.

Early Notables of the Mayville family

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

Mayville Ranking

In the United States, the name Mayville is the 15,746th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [8]

Migration of the Mayville family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Abigail Mayfield who arrived in Virginia in 1677; Jaen Mayfield who settled in Barbados in 1697; Thomas Mayfield who settled in Maryland in 1813; and William Mayfield who arrived in America in 1774..



  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  4. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  5. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  6. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  7. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
  8. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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