Maines History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Maines

What does the name Maines mean?

The ancestors of the Maines family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Maien, or Mayene, from Mayenne in Maine, Normandy and was a powerful baronial house, with Walter de Maynne listed in 976. 1

Early Origins of the Maines family

The surname Maines was first found in Devon at King's Nympton, a parish, in the union of South Molton, hundred of Witheridge. The manor, which was parcel of the ancient demesne of the crown, was granted by King John to Joel de Mayne, by whose rebellion it was again vested in the crown: it was given by Henry III. to Roger le Zouch. 2

"Judael of Mayenne had a vast barony in Devon in 1086, and his family long continued there. In 1165 Walter Fitz Juel de Mayenne (de Meduana) held a barony of twenty-one knight's fees in Kent." 3

Judael appears in the Domesday Book as Judhel de Totenais, so named for the barony of Totness. He is probably the grandfather of Juhel de Meduana who witnesses one of the Empress Maud's charters to Geoffrey de Mandeville. Nicholas de Meduana, of Dorset and Somerset are listed in the Great Roll of the Pipe (Pipe Rolls) 1 Richard I. 1

Early History of the Maines family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maines research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1140, 1544, 1577, 1612, 1631, 1633, 1654, 1661, 1668, 1683, 1702, 1705, 1708, 1711 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Maines History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maines Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Maines were recorded, including Main, Maine, Mayne and others.

Early Notables of the Maines family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Saint Cuthbert Mayne (1544-1577), an English Roman Catholic priest and martyr of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation; Simon Mayne (1612-1661), English Member of Parliament from Dinton Hall in Buckinghamshire, one of the regicides of King Charles I; and Lieutenant-General Edmund Maine (1633-1711), an English soldier and politician, Governor of Berwick-upon-Tweed (1702-1711) and Member of Parliament for Morpeth (1705-1708.)Alexander DelaMaine (fl. 1654-1683), the Muggletonian...
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Maines Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maines Ranking

In the United States, the name Maines is the 8,815^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Maines family to Ireland

Some of the Maines family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maines 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:

Maines Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Maines, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 10th February 1859 5
Mr. Duncan Maines, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 10th February 1859 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Maines (post 1700) +

Dan Maines, the American bassist for rock /funk metal /hard rock band Clutch
Natalie Louise Maines (b. 1974), American singer-songwriter
Lloyd Maines (b. 1951), American country music musician and producer
Julia B. Maines, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Florida, 1956 6
James Maines, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for U.S. Representative from Texas 11th District, 2002 6
John Maines (b. 1948), British musician, trombone player and active figure in the British brass band movement as a performer

The Maines 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: Projeci
Motto Translation: I have thrown away.

Citations +

Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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