May History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of May

What does the name May mean?

The name May comes from the ancient Norman culture that was established in Britain after the Conquest of 1066. It was a name for a person born or baptized in the month of May. The name May is derived from the Old French word mai, which has cognates in the other European languages that were all derived from the Latin word Maius. 1

Robert, Ralph de Mai and Robert Mai were listed in Normandy 1180-1198 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae) 2

Early Origins of the May family

The surname May was first found in Lincolnshire where Johannes filius Maie was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1274. A few years later, Elenza May was found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301 and the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 includes an entry for May de Hindley. William Mai was found in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1167 and a later Pipe Rolls included William le Mal in 1177. Thomas le Mey and Goscelin Mey were both listed in Suffolk in 1221. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls also includes: Richard le May, Huntingdonshire; Bateman le May, Bedfordshire; Cristin le May, Cambridgeshire; Roger filius Maye, Shropshire; John Filius Maye, Lincolnshire; and Emman le May, Oxfordshire. 4

In Scotland, "William May rendered homage at Berwick, 1291. David May had a feud of the lands of Chapeltoun of Both from the Abbey of Culross, 1587. Alexander May appears in Bourhillis, Aberdeenshire, 1597 and John Maii in Harvestoun in Tillycultrie, 1638, and Robert Maii in Dunglas, 1640. The family is associated with Clan Macdonald where it is a form of Omay." 5

Early History of the May family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our May research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1291, 1573, 1604, 1605, 1611, 1614, 1621, 1624, 1625, 1626, 1628, 1629, 1630, 1640, 1642, 1655, 1665, 1684, 1685, 1698, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early May History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

May 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 May, Mai, Maye and others.

Early Notables of the May family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir Humphrey May (1573-1630), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Bere Alston (1605-1611), Westminster (1614), Lancaster (1621-1624) and 1625, and Leicester (1624-1625) and (1626-1629)
Thomas May (c.1604-1655), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons (1640-1642), supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War
Baptist May (1628-1698), a Royal courtier, Keeper of the Privy Purse (1665-1685)

May World Ranking

In the United States, the name May is the 264^th most popular surname with an estimated 99,480 people with that name. 6 However, in Canada, the name May is ranked the 504^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,663 people with that name. 7 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name May is the 458^th popular surname with an estimated 103 people with that name. 8 France ranks May as 2,818^th with 2,000 - 2,500 people. 9 Australia ranks May as 185^th with 17,362 people. 10 New Zealand ranks May as 247^th with 2,419 people. 11 The United Kingdom ranks May as 232^nd with 25,091 people. 12 South Africa ranks May as 358^th with 19,282 people. 13

Migration of the May family to Ireland

Some of the May family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 93 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

May migration to the United States +

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 May or a variant listed above were:

May Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Cornelius May, who arrived in Virginia in 1616
Dorothy May arrived on the "Mayflower" in 1620
Dorothy May, who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 14
Cornelius May, who landed in Virginia in 1623 14
Hannah May, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

May Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henry May, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 14
Johan Peter May, who arrived in New York in 1709 14
Martin May, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 14
Johann May, who landed in America in 1741 14
Johan Henrich May, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

May Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jacob May, aged 30, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1805 14
Emanuel May, aged 22, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1805 14
Lionel May, aged 43, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 14
Mr. Edward May, (b. 1789), aged 43, Cornish farmer departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Andromeda" arriving in the United States on 10th May 1832 15
Morris May, who landed in Texas in 1835 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

May Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mrs.Elizabeth J.E. May, (b. 1846), aged 57, American returning from Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Campania" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 7th November 1903 en route to Butte, Montana, USA 16
Mrs. Florence May, (b. 1873), aged 30, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 25th October 1903 en route to Globe, Arizona, USA 16
Mr. Frank May, (b. 1899), aged 4, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 25th October 1903 en route to Globe, Arizona, USA 16
Mr. James May, (b. 1871), aged 32, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 2nd August 1903 en route to Norway, Michigan, USA 16
Mr. John Charles May, (b. 1868), aged 35, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 11th July 1903 en route to Hancock, Michigan, USA 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

May migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

May Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Jean May, aged 30, who arrived in Canada in 1657
Mr. Jean May, French settler travelling to Canada to work for Antoine Grignon, Pierre Gaigneur, and Jacques Massé, arriving on 19th March 1657 17

May Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Ann May, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Mr. William May U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway, [Shelbourne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 396 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York, USA 18
Mr. William May U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1786 he served in Butlers Rangers, married with 5 children 18

May Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Heinrich May, a Hessian mercenary who settled in Newfoundland after fighting in the American Revolution
Catherine May, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1831
Jane Donnelly May, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1837
Elizabeth Jane May, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1843
Mr. Martin May, aged 2 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Lord Ashburton" departing 13th September 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 1st November 1847 but he died on board 19

May migration to Australia +

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

May Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John May, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK in 1801, sentenced for life, transported aboard the ship "Glatten" on 23rd September 1802 to New South Wales, Australia 20
Mr. James May, British Convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 21
Miss Jane May, (b. 1881), aged -72, Irish convict who was convicted in Wicklow, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 21st January 1809, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 22
Miss Charlotte May, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Broxbournebury" in January 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 23
Mr. John May, British Convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 11th August 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 24
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

May 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:

May Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

M May, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
James May, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship Geo Fife
Mr. May, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "George Fyffe" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 7th November 1842 25
George May, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1843
Joseph May, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1843
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

May 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. 26

May Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

William May, who settled in St. Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1634
Mathew May, aged 21, who arrived in Barbados in 1635 14
Mr. Mathew May, (b. 1614), aged 21, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 27

Contemporary Notables of the name May (post 1700) +

Theresa Mary May (b. 1956), née Brasier, a British politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (2016-2019), Leader of the Conservative Party (2016-2019), Home Secretary (2010-2016)
Sir Brian Harold May CBE (b. 1947), English astrophysicist and lead guitar player for the rock band "Queen", inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, awarded the Lawrence J. Burpee Medal in 2019
Rudolph May Jr. (1944-2024), American professional baseball player, he was a left-handed pitcher in 1965 and from 1969 to 1983
Donald Adam "Don" May (1927-2022), American actor born in Chicago, Illinois, best known for his roles in Colt .45 (1957–1960) and The Edge of Night
Rick May (1940-2020), American voice actor and theatrical performer, director, and teacher from Seattle, Washington
Malachi J. Le May, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Shelton, Connecticut, 1949-56; Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Connecticut, 1956
Julian Clare May (1931-2017), American science fiction, fantasy, horror, science and children's writer
Ralph Duren "Ralphie" May (1972-2017), American stand-up comedian and actor who died of cardiac arrest at the age of 45
John Milton May (1950-2017), American politician, Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
David LaFrance May (1943-2012), American Major League Baseball outfielder, inducted into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame (1984)
... (Another 23 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the May family +

Bismarck

Fritz May (b. 1920), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck (1941) during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he survived the sinking 28

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Mark May (1873-1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 29

HMS Dorsetshire

Stanley May (d. 1945), British Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 30

RMS Titanic

Mr. Arthur May (d. 1912), aged 24, English Fireman/Stoker from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 31
Mr. Arthur William May Sr. (d. 1912), aged 60, English Fireman's Messman from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 31

SS Caribou

Mr. Herbert May (b. 1923), Newfoundland passenger from Belleoram, Newfoundland and Labrador was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he survived the sinking
Mr. Edward George May (b. 1916), British passenger who was Royal Navy from Halifax, Nova Scotia was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he died in the sinking
Mrs. Clara May, Newfoundland passenger from Newfoundland and Labrador was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, she survived the sinking

USS Arizona

Mr. Louis Eugene May, American Ship's Cook Second Class from Kansas, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 32

Vimy Ridge

Malcolm May (1890-1917), Canadian labourer, Private in the 44th Battalion from Manitoba who died at Vimy Ridge March 1917
Percy Arthur May (1892-1917), Canadian moulder, Private in the 44th Battalion from Manitoba who died at Vimy Ridge June 1917

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 85)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd June 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/broxbournebury
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html