Show ContentsMudd History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Mudd

What does the name Mudd mean?

Mudd is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Mudd family lived in Cheshire. Before migrating to Normandy and then England, this family was originally the lords of Monte Alto, in Italy. Their name is thought to be a version of this place-name which underwent significant corruption through translation through several languages before being Anglicized.

Early Origins of the Mudd family

The surname Mudd was first found in Cheshire where the family of Maude, originally the Lords of Monte Alto, in Italy, settled in the Lordships and manors of Montalt and Hawarden in the county of Flint.

Early History of the Mudd family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mudd research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1174 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Mudd History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mudd Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Maude, Maud, Mawd, Mold, Mould, Moulds, Molds and others.

Early Notables of the Mudd family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mudd Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mudd Ranking

In the United States, the name Mudd is the 5,529th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Mudd family to Ireland

Some of the Mudd family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Mudd migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Mudd or a variant listed above:

Mudd Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Peter Mudd, who arrived in Virginia in 1640 2
  • James Mudd, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1679 2
  • Thomas Mudd, who landed in Maryland in 1680 2
Mudd Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • B F Mudd, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
  • J H Clay Mudd, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 2

Mudd 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:

Mudd Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Emily Mudd, (b. 1842), aged 25, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Lancashire Witch" sailing to Auckland and Lyttelton, New Zealand on 29th July 1867 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Mudd (post 1700) +

  • Roger Mudd (1928-2021), American television journalist and broadcaster, recipient of the Peabody Award, the Joan Shorenstein Award for Distinguished Washington Reporting, and five Emmy Awards
  • Howard Edward Mudd (1942-2020), American football offensive lineman and coach
  • Thomas B. R. Mudd, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Maryland, 1928, 1932, 1948; Presidential Elector for Maryland, 1956 4
  • Therese M. Mudd, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1972, 1980 4
  • Sydney Emanuel II Mudd (1885-1924), American Republican politician, Candidate for Maryland State House of Delegates, 1909; Maryland Republican State Chair, 1910; U.S. Representative from Maryland 5th District, 1915-24 4
  • Sydney Emanuel Mudd (1858-1911), American Republican politician, Member of Maryland State House of Delegates, 1880-82, 1896; Speaker of the Maryland State House of Delegates, 1896 4
  • Kay Bell Mudd, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 2004 4
  • John J. Mudd, American Democratic Party politician, Member, Platform Committee, Democratic National Convention, 2008 4
  • John E. Mudd, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Maryland 2nd District, 1968 4
  • Jack Mudd, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Senator from Montana, 1994 4
  • ... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Thomas Charles Mudd (d. 1912), aged 16, English Second Class passenger from Huntingfield, Suffolk who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 5


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  5. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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