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Mainville History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Mainville History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland

The name Mainville was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Mainville family lived in Mandeville, near Valognes, Cotentin, Normandy. In Mandeville, the Norman Mainville family were nobles who possessed a castle and vast estates. 1

"Upon the first arrival in England of the Conqueror, there was amongst his companions a famous soldier, called Geffray de Magnavil, so designated from the town of Magnavil in the Duchy of Normandy, who obtained as his share in the spoil of conquest, divers fair and wide spreading domains in the counties of Berks, Suffolk, Middlesex, Surrey, Oxford, Cambridge, Harts, Northampton, Warwick, and Essex. The grandson of this richly gifted noble, another Geoffrey de Mandeville, was advanced by King Stephen to the Earldom of Essex." 2

Early Origins of the Mainville family

The surname Mainville was first found in Wiltshire where they were anciently granted lands by William Duke of Normandy for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. Geoffrey (Goisfrid) de Mandeville (c.1100) was an important Domesday tenant-in-chief; he was granted large estates in Essex, and in ten other shires by William, and was Constable of the Tower of London. 3

They were granted no less than 118 Lordships after the Conquest. William's descendent Geoffrey de Mandeville (d. 1144,) was created the 1st Earl of Essex, a title which became extinct in the 12th century after the death of the 3rd Earl.

The chief seat of the Mandevilles was at Walden in Essex, but many junior lines abounded. "Jehan de Mandeville", translated as "Sir John Mandeville", was noted as the compiler of a singular book of supposed travels, written in Anglo-Norman French, published between 1357 and 1371. They were Lords of the Manor of Earl's Stoke, in Wiltshire and also were granted lands in Devon.

Early rolls proved their widespread influence. Ernulf de Mandeuill was recorded in the Pipe Rolls for Wiltshire in 1158 and later, William de Manevell was found in Berkshire in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1210. Willaim de Manewell was registered in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Nigel de Manderville, Berkshire; and Ernald de Maundeville, Suffolk. 5

The Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I listed Walter de Maundevill, Kent, 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I's reign.) 6

Early History of the Mainville family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mainville research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1189, 1357, 1371, 1670 and 1733 are included under the topic Early Mainville History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mainville Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Mansville, Manvell, Mandeville, Magneville, Magnevilla, Manville, Mannevill, Manneville, Mandevile, Mansvile, Mansville, Mandevill, Manvill, Mansvill, Mansvil, Mandevil, Mandervil, Mandervill, Manderville, Mandavile, Mandavil, Mandavill, Mandaville, Mandavall, Mandavalle, Mandaval, Mandvill, Mandville, Mandvil and many more.

Early Notables of the Mainville family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was "Jehan de Mandeville", better known as "Sir John Mandeville", (fl. 1357), English knight born at St. Albans, who complied "The Travels of Sir John Mandeville," a book account of his supposed travels throughout Europe published between 1357 and 1371; William de Mandeville (d. 1189), 3rd Earl...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mainville Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mainville Ranking

In Quebec, Canada, the name Mainville is the 627^th most popular surname. 7

Migration of the Mainville family to Ireland

Some of the Mainville family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mainville migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Mainville or a variant listed above:

Mainville Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mrs Louis Mainville married in Barolet in 1745

Mainville migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Mainville Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Marie-Catherine Mainville married in Beauceville, Quebec in 1701
Madeleine Mainville lived in Beauceville, Quebec in 1714
Angélique Mainville married in Beauceville, Quebec in 1724
Marie Mainville married in Lachine, Quebec in 1726

Mainville Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Marie-Jeanne Mainville, who married in Quebec in the seventeenth century

Contemporary Notables of the name Mainville (post 1700) +

Norman Mainville, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1964 8
Albert J. Mainville, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State House of Representatives from Alger District, 1942 8
Louis-Pierre Mainville (b. 1986), Canadian volleyball player for Canada at the 2010 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship in Italy
Pierre Mainville, Canadian politician in Montreal, Quebec, Montreal City Councillor for Sainte-Marie ward (2009-)
Constance Mainville, Canadian mathematician and teacher in Montreal
Silas Mainville Burroughs (1810-1860), American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Orleans County, 1837, 1850-51, 1853; U.S. Representative from New York 31st District, 1857-60 9

Citations +

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)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, March 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html