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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.
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
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.
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.
More information is included under the topic Early Mey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In France, the name Mey is the 4,721st most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 3
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: