Mayhugh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

Mayhugh is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Mayhugh family lived in Norfolk. Their name, however, derives from the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Mayeux, Normandy. 1

Alternatively the name could have been "an Anglo-French form of Matthew." 2 3 4

Early Origins of the Mayhugh family

The surname Mayhugh was first found in Berkshire where Geoffrey Maheu was listed c. 1240. A few years later, William Mahu was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296 and William Mayhew was found in Colchester in 1351. Later again, John Mayho was recorded in Kent in 1428 and John Mayhow and William Mayo were both listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1524. 5

Early History of the Mayhugh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mayhugh research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1569, 1593, 1600, 1621, 1625, 1631, 1642, 1644, 1673, 1681, 1682, 1696, 1697, 1700, 1710 and 1758 are included under the topic Early Mayhugh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mayhugh 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 Mayhew, Mahewe, Mahugh, Mayhugh, Mayhuys, Mayhue and others.

Early Notables of the Mayhugh family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Edward Mayhew (1569-1625), an English Benedictine. His family was Mayhew or Mayow from Winton, near Salisbury, Wiltshire. Governor Thomas Mayhew, the Elder (1593-1682) established the first European settlement in Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and adjacent islands in 1642. He is one of the editors of the Bay Psalm Book, the first book published in the Thirteen Colonies. He was born in Tisbury, Wiltshire in England and married Anna (also called Hanna and Abigail) Parkhurst, born about 1600, in Hampshire, England. In 1621 they had a son, Thomas, the Younger, baptised in Hanna's home town...
Another 188 words (13 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mayhugh Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mayhugh Ranking

In the United States, the name Mayhugh is the 15,130^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Mayhugh family

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 Mayhugh or a variant listed above: Thomas Mayhew, who settled in Salem with his wife in 1630; and John Mayhew, who settled in Rappahannock in 1727.

The Mayhugh Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sola in Deo salus
Motto Translation: Safety in God alone.

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)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. 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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/