Mawd History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The history of the Mawd family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Cheshire. Before migrating to Normandy and then England, this family was originally the lords of Monte Alto, in Italy. Their name is thought to be a version of this place-name which underwent significant corruption through translation through several languages before being Anglicized.

Early Origins of the Mawd family

The surname Mawd was first found in Cheshire where the family of Maude, originally the Lords of Monte Alto, in Italy, settled in the Lordships and manors of Montalt and Hawarden in the county of Flint.

Early History of the Mawd family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mawd research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1174 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Mawd History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mawd Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Maude, Maud, Mawd, Mold, Mould, Moulds, Molds and others.

Early Notables of the Mawd family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mawd Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mawd family to Ireland

Some of the Mawd family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mawd family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Mawd name or one of its variants: John Maud who settled with his wife and four children in Boston Massachusetts in 1769; Daniel Maude settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1635; Jacob Maud arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1751.