| ![Show Contents]() Mailer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of MailerWhat does the name Mailer mean? After the forces of Strongbow invaded Ireland they discovered that the Irish had their own system of hereditary surnames. Although the two naming systems had many similarities, occupational surnames, such as Mailer were much more common to the Anglo-Norman culture of the Strongbownians. Occupational surnames were derived from a word describing the actual job done by the initial name bearer. The prefix le, meaning the, in French was often used by the early Strongbownians to link a person's first and name and surname. Eventually these prefixes were dropped or became fused onto the beginning of the surname. The surname came from a common occupational name for an enameler. The surname Mailer is derived from the Old French word esmaileur, which has this meaning. The name Mailer is also occasionally derived from the Welsh personal name Meilyr, which was Maglorix in Old Welsh. The Gaelic forms of the surname Mailer are Maoilir and Mac Maoilir. Early Origins of the Mailer familyThe surname Mailer was first found in Wales. One of the first recorded ancestors bearing this name was Nicholas Meyler, Canon of St. David's in South Wales in 1202. We know that at least one branch of the family accompanied Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke on his invasion of Ireland in 1172. There, settling in Wexford, some of the family adopted the Gaelic of Maoilir, and some even became MacMeyler and McMeyler. George Meyler and Walter Meyler where notables of this branch at Tincurry, Wexford. Meanwhile, a branch of the family settled in Shropshire, where Henry and Walter Meyler were registered in 1273. Meyler de Bermingham (d. before 1275) was an Anglo-Irish lord, founder of Athenry. Meyler was a great-grandson of Robert de Bermingham who is thought to have obtained a grant of Offaly from Strongbow or Henry II about 1172. While his surname was in fact, de Bermingham, it is significant to note the early use of Meyler as a forename. Myler of Tethmoy, who died in 1211, was the son of Robert of Tethmoy, (fl. 1172.) Early History of the Mailer familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mailer research. More information is included under the topic Early Mailer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Mailer Spelling VariationsIt was found during an investigation of the origins of the name Mailer that church officials and medieval scribes often spelled the name as it sounded. This practice lead to a single person's being documented under many spelling variations. The name Mailer has existed in the various shapes: Meyler, Mailer, Mailler, Mayler, Meiler, Meiller, Maylor, MacMeyler, McMeyler, McMailor, McMeiler, Meilir and many more. Early Notables of the Mailer familyMore information is included under the topic Early Mailer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Mailer migration to the United States | + |
A great number of Irish families left their homeland in the late 18th century and throughout the 19th century, migrating to such far away lands as Australia and North America. The early settlers left after much planning and deliberation. They were generally well off but they desired a tract of land that they could farm solely for themselves. The great mass of immigrants to arrive on North American shores in the 1840s differed greatly from their predecessors because many of them were utterly destitute, selling all they had to gain a passage on a ship or having their way paid by a philanthropic society. These Irish people were trying to escape the aftermath of the Great Potato Famine: poverty, starvation, disease, and, for many, ultimately death. Those that arrived on North American shores were not warmly welcomed by the established population, but they were vital to the rapid development of the industry, agriculture, and infrastructure of the infant nations of the United States and what would become Canada. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Irish settlers bearing the name Mailer:
Mailer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Georg Mailer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 1
- Johan Peter Mailer, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1787 1
Mailer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- John Mailer, who landed in New York in 1817 1
| Mailer 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: Mailer Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr. William Mailer, Scottish settler travelling from Clyde aboard the ship "Sir William Eyre" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand in April 1863 2
- Andrew Mailer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lorraine" in 1878
- Thomas Mailer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lorraine" in 1878
| Contemporary Notables of the name Mailer (post 1700) | + |
- Norman Mailer (1923-2007), American two time Pulitzer prize and the National Book Award winning American author
- Andrew Caldwell Mailer (1853-1897), American politician, Member of the Wisconsin Senate (1897-1901)
- Norris Church Mailer (1949-2010), born Barbara Jean Davis, widow of American novelist, Norman Mailer
- John Buffalo Mailer (b. 1978), American author, playwright, actor, producer, and journalist, son of Norman Mailer
- Michael Mailer (b. 1964), American film producer, son of Norman Mailer
- Stephen McLeod Mailer (b. 1966), American stage and screen actor, son of Norman Mailer
- Norman Kingsley Mailer (1923-2007), American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Mayor of New York City, New York, 1969 3
- John B. Mailer Jr., American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Arkansas, 1972 3
- Ronald George "Ron" Mailer (1932-2018), Scottish footballer who played from 1951 to 1964
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: Amor patriae vincit
Motto Translation: Patriotism conquers.
- 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)
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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