Mayhow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Mayhow is a name that was carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Mayhow 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

Early Origins of the Mayhow family

The surname Mayhow was first found in the parish of Morvall, Cornwall. "The manor of Bray, passed from the Herles to the family of Mayow, of whom John Mayow an eminent physician was a distinguished member. This gentleman contributed some papers on the nature of respiration, which were published in the Philosophical Transactions. Bray is now the property, and the occasional residence of Philip Wynhall Mayow, Esq. In the church are memorials for the families of Mayow, Kendall, and Coode." 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1275 listed Henry Meyer and Bartholomew le Meyre in Norfolk; and David le Meir in Lancashire. 3

Early History of the Mayhow family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mayhow research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1631, 1641, 1679, 1695 and 1708 are included under the topic Early Mayhow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mayhow Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Mayhow include Mayo, Mayow, Mayhow, Mayho and others.

Early Notables of the Mayhow family

Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mayhow Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mayhow migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Mayhows to arrive on North American shores:

Mayhow Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Mayhow, who landed in Maryland in 1673 4

Citations +

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)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)