Mey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

Mey is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Mey family lived in Staffordshire. The surname Mey can be traced to Cold Meece, a village near Swynnerton or the Meece River in Staffordshire. Likely the original bearer lived by the River Meece. 1

The River Meese, in Shropshire, England may be another starting point for this family.

Early Origins of the Mey family

The surname Mey was first found in Staffordshire where they held a family seat. The name is associated with the village of Mill Meece, which was recorded in the Domesday Book, 2 a census of England taken by King William in the year 1086. Robert Miee was registered in Normandy in 1198. In England, the first recorded ancestor was Richard del Mes (also recorded as Richard Mey,) who was registered in Staffordshire in 1276. 1

Early History of the Mey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mey research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1608, 1642 and 1691 are included under the topic Early Mey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mey Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Meese, Meece, Mees, Mey and others.

Early Notables of the Mey family

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

Mey Ranking

In France, the name Mey is the 4,721^st most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Mey family to Ireland

Some of the Mey 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.

Mey migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Mey or a variant listed above:

Mey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan William Mey, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1727 aboard the ship "William and Sarah" 4
Hans Simon Mey, who arrived in America in 1730 4
Hendrick Mey, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 4
Anna Maria Mey, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1743 4
Adolf Mey, who landed in America in 1747 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Anna Mey, aged 10, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1893 4
Frieda Mey, aged 14, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1893 4
Martha Mey, aged 4, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1893 4
Max Mey, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1893 4
Minna Mey, aged 8, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1893 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Mey (post 1700) +

Jacob Louis Mey (1926-2023), Dutch-born Danish professor of linguistics, specializing in pragmatics
Uwe-Jens Mey (b. 1963), Polish-born, German tow-time gold and silver Olympic medalist speed skater
Théo Mey (1912-1964), Luxembourg photographer
Reinhard Friedrich Michael Mey (b. 1942), German singer-songwriter
Karl Mey (b. 1879), German industrial physicist

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)