Show ContentsMaypole History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the Maypole family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Cheshire, at the manor of Marple which dates back to the 13th century when it was then known as Merpille and literally meant "pool or stream at the boundary," having derived from the Old English "maere" + "pyll." 1

Early Origins of the Maypole family

The surname Maypole was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Marple, more anciently spelt Merpul. The first record of ownership of the estates was when Randle, Earl of Chester granted the manorial rights to Robert of Stockport. This is most likely the earliest scion of the Marple family name. He sold the estate to Sir George Vernon, known as 'The King of the Peak' Chief of one those rugged east Cheshire families who controlled the forests of Cheshire and Derbyshire. Marple Hall remains, and in the 19th century was the seat of the notable Isherwood family, having previously been the seat of the Bradshaws.

Interestingly, one of the theories of the origin of Agatha Christie's fictional character Miss Marple was that it was taken the name from a family named Marple, who lived at Marple Hall near her sister Madge's home at Abney Hall.

The first records of the Marble variant were found on the Isle of Man where Robert Marbull and Hugh Marble were listed in 1479 and 1531, respectively. 2

Early History of the Maypole family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maypole research. Another 50 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1921 is included under the topic Early Maypole History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maypole Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Marple, Marples, Marble, Marbles, Merple, Merpel, Merpels, Merples, Merbles, Merble and many more.

Early Notables of the Maypole family

More information is included under the topic Early Maypole Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Maypole family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Maypole or a variant listed above were: William Marble and his wife Elizabeth who settled in New England in 1652; Richard and his wife Elizabeth Marble settled in Pennsylvania in 1773; J.L. Marble settled in San Francisco Cal. in 1852.


Contemporary Notables of the name Maypole (post 1700) +

  • George M. Maypole (b. 1883), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Illinois State Senate 21st District; Elected 1930, 1934, 1938; Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1936 3


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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