Show ContentsMahy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Mahy

What does the name Mahy mean?

Mahy is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Mahy family lived in Norfolk. Their name, however, derives from the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Mayeux, Normandy. 1

Alternatively the name could have been "an Anglo-French form of Matthew." 2 3 4

Early Origins of the Mahy family

The surname Mahy was first found in Berkshire where Geoffrey Maheu was listed c. 1240. A few years later, William Mahu was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296 and William Mayhew was found in Colchester in 1351. Later again, John Mayho was recorded in Kent in 1428 and John Mayhow and William Mayo were both listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1524. 5

Early History of the Mahy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mahy research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1569, 1593, 1600, 1621, 1625, 1631, 1642, 1644, 1673, 1681, 1682, 1696, 1697, 1700, 1710 and 1758 are included under the topic Early Mahy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mahy Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Mahy family name include Mayhew, Mahewe, Mahugh, Mayhugh, Mayhuys, Mayhue and others.

Early Notables of the Mahy family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Edward Mayhew (1569-1625), an English Benedictine. His family was Mayhew or Mayow from Winton, near Salisbury, Wiltshire. Governor Thomas Mayhew, the Elder (1593-1682) established the first European settlement in Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and adjacent islands in 1642. He is one of the editors of the Bay Psalm Book, the first book published in the Thirteen Colonies. He was born in Tisbury, Wiltshire in England and married Anna (also called Hanna and Abigail) Parkhurst, born about 1600, in Hampshire, England. In 1621 they had a son, Thomas, the Younger, baptised in Hanna's home town...
Another 188 words (13 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mahy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Mahy migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Mahy family to immigrate North America:

Mahy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Anna Mahy, aged 6, who immigrated to the United States, in 1894
Mahy Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Eugene Mahy, aged 35, who landed in America, in 1904
  • Effie Mahy, aged 20, who settled in America from Northampton, England, in 1908
  • Arthur Mahy, aged 22, who landed in America from Guernsey, England, in 1911
  • Bernice H. Mahy, aged 15, who settled in America, in 1912
  • Charles F. Mahy, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States from Southampton, England, in 1921
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Mahy (post 1700) +

  • Barry Mahy (1942-2020), Guernsey-born, American association football defender who earned four caps with the U.S. national team in 1973
  • Thomas Henry Mahy (1862-1936), English author from Guernsey, who wrote Dires et Pensées du Courtil Poussin, a regular column in Guernésiais in La Gazette Officielle de Guernesey (1916-?)
  • Stephen Mahy (b. 1982), Australian tenor and actor
  • Margaret Mahy ONZ (1936-2012), New Zealand author of children's and young adult books, eponym of the Margaret Mahy Award
  • Thomas de Mahy (1744-1790), Marquis de Favras, a French aristocrat


The Mahy 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: Sola in Deo salus
Motto Translation: Safety in God alone.


  1. 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)
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  3. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  4. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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