| ![Show Contents]() Mairs History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Mairs is a name that was formed by the Anglo-Saxon society of old Britain. The name was thought to have been used for someone who once worked as a person who held the office of mayor. The surname was originally derived from the Old English word maire, which referred to the officer who was in charge of executing summonses and other legal matters. Therefore, the original bearer of the surname Mairs held the office of Mayor. 1 Early Origins of the Mairs familyThe surname Mairs was first found in Cheshire at Mere, a township, in the parish of Rosthern, union of Altrincham, hundred of Bucklow. The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Mera. 2 Literally, the place name means "(place at) the pool or lake," from the Old English word "mere." 3 Alternatively, the surname could have originated at Mere in Wiltshire, a market-town and parish, and the head of a union, in the hundred of Mere. This parish was listed in the Domesday Book, but with the current spelling of Mere. 2 In this case, "the name of this place is derived from the Saxon word Mæra, signifying bounds or limits, and indicates its situation on the borders of the counties of Wilts, Somerset, and Dorset. In 1253, permission was given by Henry III. to Richard, Earl of Cornwall, to build and fortify a castle on his manor of Mere, and the manor has ever since been attached to the duchy of Cornwall. " 4 The family was listed in the Roll of Battle Abbey as companions to William the Conqueror. "The descendants of this Norman knight occupied a prominent position in Staffordshire, in the time of the early Plantagenets. William de Mere occurs as High Sheriff of that county, temp. Edward II., and in the next reign, Peter de la Mere filled the Speaker's chair in the House of Commons. At an early period, the family possessed the manor of Maer, co. Stafford, and are also found resident at Norton, in the Moors. The name is spelt, in ancient deeds, de Mere, de Mare, but the more recent orthography is Mayer. " 5 For centuries the township of Lartington in the North Riding of Yorkshire belonged to the Maire family until the 16th century when it was passed by marriage to the Lawsons, of Brough. 4 Early History of the Mairs familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mairs research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1379, 1453, 1467, 1477, 1544, 1550 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Mairs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Mairs Spelling VariationsUntil the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Mairs include Maire, Myer, Myers, Mair, Maires, Mayers, Meyers, Meire, Meir, Mere and many more. Early Notables of the Mairs familyMore information is included under the topic Early Mairs Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Mairs family to Ireland
Some of the Mairs family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 85 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Mairs migration to the United States | + |
Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Mairs were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:
Mairs Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Ethel Mairs, aged 6, who immigrated to America from Dublin, in 1892
- Matilda Mairs, aged 32, who landed in America from Dublin, in 1892
- G. H. Mairs, aged 39, who immigrated to the United States, in 1897
Mairs Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- James Mairs, aged 43, who immigrated to the United States from Belfast, Ireland, in 1907
- Gladys Mairs, aged 1, who landed in America from Belfast, Ireland, in 1910
- Helen Mairs, aged 29, who settled in America from Belfast, Ireland, in 1910
- Alexander Mairs, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States from Antrim, Ireland, in 1911
- Eleanor Mairs, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from Mackawore, Ireland, in 1911
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Mairs migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Mairs Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century- Charles Mairs, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
| Mairs 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: Mairs Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr. Andrew Mairs, (b. 1836), aged 25, British shepherd travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 10th February 1862 6
| Contemporary Notables of the name Mairs (post 1700) | + |
- Nancy Mairs (b. 1943), American author who writes about spirituality, women's issues and her experiences living with multiple sclerosis
- Clara Gardner Mairs (1878-1963), American painter and printmaker
- Nancy Mairs (b. 1943), American author who writes about her experiences living with multiple sclerosis
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
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Mairs migration to the United States 
Mairs migration to Canada 
Mairs migration to New Zealand 
England
Ireland
