Contents [hide]

Mayhew History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Sources

Mayhew History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

Etymology of Mayhew

What does the name Mayhew mean?

The name Mayhew was brought to England by the Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. The ancestors of the Mayhew family lived in Norfolk. Their name, however, derives from the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Mayeux, Normandy. 1

Alternatively the name could have been "an Anglo-French form of Matthew." 2 3 4

Early Origins of the Mayhew family

The surname Mayhew was first found in Berkshire where Geoffrey Maheu was listed c. 1240. A few years later, William Mahu was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296 and William Mayhew was found in Colchester in 1351. Later again, John Mayho was recorded in Kent in 1428 and John Mayhow and William Mayo were both listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1524. 5

Early History of the Mayhew family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mayhew research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1569, 1593, 1600, 1621, 1625, 1631, 1642, 1644, 1673, 1681, 1682, 1696, 1697, 1700, 1710 and 1758 are included under the topic Early Mayhew History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mayhew Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Mayhew are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Mayhew include Mayhew, Mahewe, Mahugh, Mayhugh, Mayhuys, Mayhue and others.

Early Notables of the Mayhew family

Edward Mayhew (1569-1625), an English Benedictine. His family was Mayhew or Mayow from Winton, near Salisbury, Wiltshire
Governor Thomas Mayhew, the Elder (1593-1682) established the first European settlement in Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and adjacent islands in 1642. He is one of the editors of the Bay Psalm Book, th...
Governor Matthew Mayhew (c. 1644-1710) was son of Thomas Mayhew Jr., and grandson of Thomas Mayhew Sr., an early settler of Martha's Vineyard, and a governor of the Vineyard, Nantucket and adjacent is...
Experience Mayhew (1673-1758) was a New England missionary to the Wampanoag Indians on Martha's Vineyard and adjacent islands. He is the author of Massachusett Psalter (a rare book like the Bay Psalm...

Mayhew Ranking

the United States, the name Mayhew is the 3,858^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 6

Mayhew migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Mayhew, or a variant listed above:

Mayhew Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Mayhew, the Elder (1593-1682), born in Tilsbury, Wiltshire who arrived in Massachusetts as part of the Winthrope Fleet in 1630, founder of Martha's Vineyard in 1642
Mrs. Anne Mayhew who arrived in Massachusetts as part of the Winthrope Fleet 1630, founder of Martha's Vineyard in 1642 8
Mr. Thomas Mayhew, Jr., who arrived in Massachusetts as part of the Winthrope Fleet in 1630 8
Ann Mayhew, who landed in New England in 1640 9
Zachariah Mayhew, who landed in Maryland in 1673 9

Mayhew Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Mayhew, who settled in Rappahannock in 1727

Mayhew Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Mayhew, aged 35, who landed in New York in 1803 9
John S Mayhew, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 9

Mayhew Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Ellen Mayhew, aged 17, who immigrated to the United States from Annalong, Ireland, in 1906
Bertha Mayhew, aged 7, who landed in America from London, in 1906
Fey Mayhew, aged 6, who immigrated to America, in 1907
Ann Mayhew, aged 50, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1908
Augustus Mayhew, aged 32, who immigrated to America from Bradford, England, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mayhew migration to Canada +

Mayhew Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Thomas Mayhew, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749

Mayhew migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the Second Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Second Fleet

Mr. William Mayhew, (b. 1760), aged 30, British settler convicted in Suffolk, England in 1789, sentenced to Life for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Albermarle" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 7

Following the Second Fleet, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Mayhew Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Mayhew, English convict who was convicted in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England for life, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
Mr. Henry Mayhew who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 3rd October 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
Mr. Robert Mayhew, English convict who was convicted in Suffolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 3rd November 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Samuel Mayhew, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1849 13

Mayhew 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:

Mayhew Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Mayhew, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "William Watson" in 1859
Mr. William Mayhew, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "William Watson" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th February 1859 14
Mr. Mayhew, British settler with his brother travelling from London aboard the ship "Warrior Queen" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 1st January 1874 14
Emily Mayhew, aged 25, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "La Hogue" in 1874
Emma Mayhew, aged 28, a cook, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Salisbury" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Mayhew (post 1700) +

Alice E. Mayhew (1932-2020), American editor, Vice President and Editorial Director for Simon & Schuster
Peter Mayhew (1944-2019), English-born, American actor and comedian, best known for playing Chewbacca in the Star Wars films largely due to his 7 foot 3 inches height
Martin R. Mayhew (b. 1965), American former football player, current General Manager of the Detroit Lions
David Mayhew (b. 1982), American professional stock car racing driver, five-time winner in the International Kart Federation National Championships
David R. Mayhew (b. 1937), American Sterling Professor in the Political Science Department at Yale University
George C. Mayhew, American Republican politician, Chair of Bond County Republican Party, 1950 15
Frederic Mayhew, American politician, Member of Massachusetts State House of Representatives from New Bedford; Elected 1816 16
Eleazer Mayhew, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Salem County, 1792-95, 1800 16
Edward Mayhew, American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Freemantle, 1892-99 16
... (Another 26 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Mayhew family +

Arrow Air Flight 1285

Mr. Ronald C Mayhew (1961-1985), American Sergeant from Indianapolis, Indiana, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 16
Mr. Thomas Mayhew (1890-1917), British Officer's Cook 2nd Class from Kent, who was aboard the ship "HMS Vanguard" when she exploded in the Scapa Flow off the Orkney Islands, Scotland on 9th July 1917

The Mayhew Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sola in Deo salus
Motto Translation: Safety in God alone.

Sources +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The BOLTON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Bolton.htm
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, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550