Maben History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales

The Welsh name Maben is derived from the hills and Moors of Wales where a very particular Celtic people, known as the Britons, thrived. This surname is derived from the Welsh personal name Mabon, which means a child or great son.

According to Welsh literature and mythology, Mabon ap Modron, the son of Modron, is a member of King Arthur's war band.

Early Origins of the Maben family

The surname Maben was first found in Cornwall, at St. Mabyn, a parish, in the union of Bodmin, hundred of Trigg. 1

"St. Mabyn is indebted for its name to one of the large sainted family that came into this country from Wales. One of these, a female, whose name was Maben, fixed her hermitage in this district, which still retains her name. This name seems to have been appropriated to the parish at an early period; since in the first valor in 1294, we find the name of Ecclesia Sanctae. Mabenae applied to the present rectory not far from Wadebridge. Of the personal history of this female saint, very little is at present known." 2

Early History of the Maben family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maben research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Maben History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maben Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Maben has occasionally been spelled Maben, Mabon, Mabin, Mabben and others.

Early Notables of the Maben family

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

Maben migration to the United States +

In the 1800s and 1900s, many Welsh families left for North America, in search of land, work, and freedom. Those who made the trip successfully helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Maben

Maben Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Maben, aged 67, who arrived in New York in 1812 3
James Maben, aged 30, who landed in New York in 1812 3
Andrew Maben, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1864

Maben 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:

Maben Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Maben, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Thames" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 25th November 1849 4
Mrs. Maben, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Thames" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 25th November 1849 4
Miss Maben, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Thames" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 25th November 1849 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Maben (post 1700) +

W. N. Maben, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma, 1912 5
Hayward Maben, American politician, Candidate for Michigan State Senate, 1930, 1932 5
Buell Maben (1815-1886), American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Greene County 1st District, 1856 5

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html