Show ContentsMayne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Mayne

What does the name Mayne mean?

The name Mayne reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Mayne family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Mayne family lived in Maien, or Mayene, from Mayenne in Maine, Normandy and was a powerful baronial house, with Walter de Maynne listed in 976. 1

Early Origins of the Mayne family

The surname Mayne was first found in Devon at King's Nympton, a parish, in the union of South Molton, hundred of Witheridge. The manor, which was parcel of the ancient demesne of the crown, was granted by King John to Joel de Mayne, by whose rebellion it was again vested in the crown: it was given by Henry III. to Roger le Zouch. 2

"Judael of Mayenne had a vast barony in Devon in 1086, and his family long continued there. In 1165 Walter Fitz Juel de Mayenne (de Meduana) held a barony of twenty-one knight's fees in Kent." 3

Judael appears in the Domesday Book as Judhel de Totenais, so named for the barony of Totness. He is probably the grandfather of Juhel de Meduana who witnesses one of the Empress Maud's charters to Geoffrey de Mandeville. Nicholas de Meduana, of Dorset and Somerset are listed in the Great Roll of the Pipe (Pipe Rolls) 1 Richard I. 1

Early History of the Mayne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mayne research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1140, 1544, 1577, 1612, 1631, 1633, 1654, 1661, 1668, 1683, 1702, 1705, 1708, 1711 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Mayne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mayne Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Main, Maine, Mayne and others.

Early Notables of the Mayne family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Saint Cuthbert Mayne (1544-1577), an English Roman Catholic priest and martyr of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation; Simon Mayne (1612-1661), English Member of Parliament from Dinton Hall in Buck...

Mayne Ranking

In the United States, the name Mayne is the 9,215th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Mayne family to Ireland

Some of the Mayne family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Mayne migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Mayne name or one of its variants:

Mayne Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Susanna Mayne, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 5
  • John Mayne, who landed in Virginia in 1655 5
  • Henry Mayne, who arrived in Virginia in 1661 5
Mayne Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mary Mayne, aged 21, who arrived in Connecticut in 1812 5
  • Richard John Mayne, aged 41, who landed in New York in 1831 5
  • William Mayne, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1850 5
  • Thomas H Mayne, aged 30, who landed in Texas in 1858 5
  • Randall Mayne, who arrived in Virginia in 1884 5
Mayne Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. John Edgar Mayne, (b. 1879), aged 25, Cornish machinist, from Camborne, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 24th July 1904 en route to Boston, Massachusetts, USA 6
  • Mr. Frederick Mayne, (b. 1885), aged 20, Cornish blacksmith travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Kofa, Arizona, USA 6

Mayne migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Mayne Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Mary Mayne, (b. 1796), aged 33 born in Landreath, Cornwall, UK convicted in Plymouth on 14th July 1829, sentenced for 7 years for stealing earthenware, transported aboard the ship "Elizabeth & Henry" in 1830 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 7
  • Mr. John Mayne, English convict who was convicted in Devon, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Blenheim" on 11th March 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
  • Miss. Elizabeth Mayne, (b. 1830), aged 17 born in Truro, Cornwall, UK convicted in Bodmin on 29th June 1847, sentenced for 10 years for stealing from a person, transported aboard the ship "Tory" in 1848 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 7
  • Ms. Elizabeth Mayne, (b. 1832), aged 17, Cornish settler convicted in Bodmin, Cornwall, UK on 29th June 1847, sentenced for 10 years for stealing from Elizabeth Sampson, aged 11, transported aboard the ship "Tory" on 26th April 1848 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 9
  • Mr. Joseph Mayne, (b. 1830), aged 23, Cornish agricultural labourer departing from Plymouth on 7th April 1853 aboard the ship "Euphemus" arriving in Geelong, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 18th July 1853 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mayne 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:

Mayne Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Edward Mayne, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
  • Joseph Mayne, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mermaid" in 1860 11
  • Robert Mayne, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Inflexible" in 1870
  • James Mayne, aged 22, a upholsterer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Glenlora" in 1873

Mayne migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 12
Mayne Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Nathaniell Mayne, aged 21, who landed in Barbados in 1684 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Mayne (post 1700) +

  • Karen Mayne (1945-2024), American politician, Member of the Utah Senate from the 5th District (2019-2023)
  • Thom Mayne (b. 1944), American architect awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2005, considered to be one of the world's premier architecture prizes
  • Wiley Mayne (1917-2007), American Republican politician, Lawyer; U.S. Representative from Iowa 6th District, 1967-75 13
  • Mark M. Mayne, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1948 ; Candidate in primary for Michigan State House of Representatives from Washtenaw County 1st District, 1950 13
  • Joseph W. Mayne, American politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives from Lehigh County, 1901-04 13
  • G. Allen Mayne, American Democratic Party politician, Member, Rules Committee, Democratic National Convention, 2008 13
  • Frederick W. Mayne, American politician, Circuit Judge in Michigan 13th Circuit, 1899-1923; Appointed 1899 13
  • Ed Mayne, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Utah, 1996, 2000, 2004 13
  • David Mayne, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Louisiana, 1972 13
  • Charles B. Mayne, American politician, Mayor of New Castle, Pennsylvania, 1933 13
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

North Sea Flood
  • James Mayne, British worker aboard the ferry "Princess Victoria" killed in the North Sea Flood, a major storm surge in 1953
RMS Titanic
  • Miss Bertha Antonine Mayné, aged 24, Belgian First Class passenger from Brussels, Belgium who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping in life boat 6 14


The Mayne 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: Projeci
Motto Translation: I have thrown away.


  1. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. 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)
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. 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)
  6. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  7. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/tasmanian_convicts_cornish.pdf
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
  9. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
  10. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
  11. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  13. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  14. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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