MAYS

The surname Mays is a traditional Anglo‑French family name that can be traced back to the early medieval period of the British Isles. Its earliest documented appearance dates from the mid–twelfth century, with the name first recorded as William Mai in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in the year 1167, during the reign of King Henry the First.

Etimologically, Mays is believed to have arisen from the medieval given name May. This personal name itself was derived from the Old French word mai, meaning the month of May. Consequently, the surname may have originally served to describe a person born in that month or one who had some association with it. In addition, the name can also be regarded as a variant of Mayes, which is a hypocoristic form of the biblical given name Matthew. The latter is rooted in the Hebrew Matityahu, meaning “gift of Yahweh”, and was incorporated into English usage through the Norman French stage of the language.

During the Norman conquest and the ensuing centuries, the name Mays evolved alongside variations such as May, Le May, Maye, Mayes, Mayze, Mayzes, Mey, Meys, Lemay and others. The name may also have functioned as a patronymic, indicated by the suffix -s, meaning “son of May”. Within this context, early records that are of particular note include Thomas le Mey and Goscelin Mey in the Book of Ely Abbey in 1221, John Meys in the Hundred Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1275, and Stephen Mayes in the Warwickshire Subsidy Rolls in 1332. The earliest known use of the spelling Mays itself is documented with Alt_Mays (the daughter of Thomas Mays) who was christened in 1596 at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, London.

In heraldic tradition, a family bearing the name Mays was granted a coat of arms in Sussex around the year 1422. The blazon was described as a red field charged with a fess between eight gold billets, and the crest consisted of a leopard’s head. This grant is one of the earliest evidences that the surname had gained sufficient standing to warrant a heraldic identity in the region.

It is worth noting that the medieval name May was largely used as a baptismal name for female children, and the evolution from this to a family surname was a comparatively uncommon occurrence. Nevertheless, the persistence of the name Mays through the centuries attests to its stability and the social significance of names derived from both calendar and patronymic origins in early English society.

Typical given names associated with the Mays surname

Male

• Andrew
• Anthony
• Daniel
• David
• Ian
• John
• Michael
• Peter
• Richard
• Robert
• Stephen

Female

• Amanda
• Angela
• Claire
• Emma
• Jean
• Joan
• Karen
• Linda
• Margaret
• Marie
• Mary
• Sarah
• Susan
• Valerie

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Mays in...

Braille

⠍⠁⠽⠎

Morse

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Semaphore

Surname type: From name of parent

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

Famous people named Mays

• Daniel Mays - Actor
• Jayma Mays - American actress and singer
• Billy Mays - American pitchman (1958 to 2009)
• Raymond Mays - Racing driver (1899 to 1980)
• Christopher Mays - Cricketer
• Billy Mays - Welsh football player (1902 to 1959)
• Gerry Mays - Scottish football player and manager (1921 to 2006)
• Albert Mays - Welsh football player (1929 to 1973)

Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.

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