The Manders surname is thought to derive from "maund," meaning "beg," probably from the Old French "mendier;" in which case, it may have evolved from a nickname for a beggar. Alternatively it may have been an occupational name for a maker of baskets, from Middle English word "maund," meaning "basket."
The surname Manders was first found in Devon where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1524 when Thomas Mander held estates in that shire.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Manders research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1642, 1662, 1455, 1487, 1704, 1700, 1702, 1687, 1704, 1720, 1764, 1172, 1794 and 1807 are included under the topic Early Manders History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Manders family name include Mander, Manders, Maunders, Maunder and others.
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Manders Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Manders family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Manders surname or a spelling variation of the name include: