Maior History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the Maior family arrived in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Maior came from the Norman given name Mauger. The name indicates one who is the son of Maugier, an Old French personal name, which is derived from the Old Germanic name Malger, which means council spear. 1

Early Origins of the Maior family

The surname Maior was first found in Normandy where Mauguer was the third son of Richard I, Duke of Normandy and his second wife, Gunnora. He ruled as Count of Corbeil through his wife Germaine de Corbeil.

Mauger (or Malger) was the youngest son of Richard II and his second wife, Papia of Envermeu. He rose to become Archbishop of Rouen in 1037. However, as he opposed the marriage of Duke William and Matilda of Flanders in 1049, he was banished from Rouen to the Isle of Guernsey. There he married Gisella or Guille "without sanction of the Church, he formed an intimacy that resulted in numerous progeny, some of whom took their father's, others their mother's name. 'Hence,' observes a correspondent 'Guilles and Maugers are as plentiful as blackberries on the Channel Islands'"2. The Norman poet Wace (c.1110-1174), related stories of his life on the Channel Islands some 100 years later.

Another Mauger was royal clerk and physician before he was elected to the see of Worcester in 1199, a position held until his death in 1212. Sir Mathias Mayer (Mayor), originally a Jerseyman was ancestor of the Majors of Hampshire.

In England, the Domesday Book of 1086 records the name as a surname in Latin form: Hugo filius Malgeri. 3 The same source also lists a variant, similarly in Latin: Drogo filius Matelgerii. 1 As a forename we find Malger filius Gilleberti in Nottinghamshire (1150-1160.) In Somerset, John Mauger or Malger was listed there in 1250 and later in the Assize Rolls on 1272. The place name "Tolleshunt Major (Essex) owes its attribute to the Domesday Book's Malger." 1

"The font-name was fairly popular in the 13th century. Mauger is found as a single personal name in the Hundredorum Rolls." 4 However, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had listings as a surname too: Thomas filius Mager in Lincolnshire; Walter Mauger in Cambridgeshire; and Richard Malgor in Buckinghamshire. 4

Early History of the Maior family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maior research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1469, 1550, 1615, 1655 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Maior History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maior 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 Major, Mauger, Magor, Maior, Mayer, Mayor, Mager and others.

Early Notables of the Maior family

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Maior Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Maior family to Ireland

Some of the Maior family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maior migration to the United States +

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 Maior or a variant listed above:

Maior Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edward, Elizabeth, George, James, John, Robert Maior all, who settled in Virginia in 1640
Henry Maior, who arrived in Virginia in 1640 5
Jane Maior, who landed in Virginia in 1640 5
John Maior, who landed in Virginia in 1640 5
Robert Maior, who landed in Virginia in 1642 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)