Show ContentsMann History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Mann

What does the name Mann mean?

The distinguished Austrian surname Mann is a proud sign of a rich and ancient ancestry. Austria, which was originally home to a Celtic people, was conquered by the Roman Empire in about 15 BC. Following the fall of Rome, Austria was repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, such as the Vandals, Visigoths, and Huns, who swept in from the east. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Alemanni, Avars and Slavs settled Austria. The Avars were defeated in 785 by the Frankish emperor Charlemagne, who set up the East Mark, which later became known as the Österreich. Austria was ruled by the Babenburger dynasty until 1278, when they were succeeded by the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria until the 20th century.

Early Origins of the Mann family

The surname Mann was first found in Styria, where the name could be considered to have made a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of modern Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses. They played important roles in the tribal and national conflicts in which each group sought power and status in an ever changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Mann family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mann research. Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1618, 1627, 1760, 1769, 1796, 1848 and 1859 are included under the topic Early Mann History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mann Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Mann include Man, Manne, Manner, Maner, Maenner, Maener, Manns and others.

Early Notables of the Mann family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Mann were

  • Horace Mann (1796-1859), who was an American educator and statesman...

Mann World Ranking

In the United States, the name Mann is the 351st most popular surname with an estimated 77,097 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Mann is ranked the 306th most popular surname with an estimated 14,346 people with that name. 2 And in France, the name Mann is the 4,446th popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 3 Australia ranks Mann as 258th with 13,357 people. 4 New Zealand ranks Mann as 424th with 1,567 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Mann as 251st with 23,861 people. 6


Mann migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Mann or a variant listed above:

Mann Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Nicholas Mann, who arrived in Virginia in 1618 7
  • Jasper Mann, who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 7
  • Thomas Mann, who landed in Virginia in 1621 7
  • Percival] Mann, who landed in Virginia in 1622 7
  • Percivall Mann, who settled in Virginia in 1623
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Mann Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jon Mann, who landed in Virginia in 1703 7
  • Lewis Mann, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 7
  • Heinrich Mann, who landed in New York in 1709 7
  • Henrich Mann, who arrived in New York, NY in 1710 7
  • William Mann, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Mann Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Eberh Fried Mann, who arrived in America in 1807 7
  • John Mann, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1808 7
  • James Mann, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1812 7
  • Abraham, Adam, Alexander, Andrew, Charles, Christian, and Cornelius Mann, all, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the 19th century
  • Johannes Mann with his wife Margareta and their two children
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Mann Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. Richard Mann, (b. 1874), aged 30, Cornish miner, from Penzance, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Lucania" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 2nd April 1904 en route to Ishpeming, Michigan, USA 8
  • Mr. Richard Henry Mann, (b. 1884), aged 20, Cornish farm hand, from Gulval, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 3rd July 1904 en route to Bessemer, Michigan, USA 8

Mann migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Mann Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Private. Edward J. Mann U.E., (Man) (b. 1766) from Stillwater, New York, USA who settled in New Carlisle and Paspébiac, Gaspé, Quebec c. 1784 he enlisted in 1780 serving in the Kings Royal Regiment of New York, married to Ann Shipman having 8 children, he died in 1798 9
  • Col. Isaac Mann Sr., U.E., (Man) (b. 1723) born in New York, USA from Stillwater, New York, USA who settled in New Carlisle and Paspébiac, Gaspé, Quebec c. 1784 he served in the Kings Loyal Americans Regiment (Jessup's Rangers), married to Annatje (Ann) Jeffries having 7 children he died in 1803 9
  • Mr. Isaac Mann Jr., U.E., (Man) (b. 1748) born in Stillwater, New York, USA from Stillwater, New York, USA who settled in New Carlisle and Paspébiac, Gaspé, Quebec c. 1784 he enlisted in 1777 servings in Kings Loyal American Regiment (Jessup's Rangers), Burgoyne's Loyalists and Kings Royal Regiment of New York, married to Mary Eyre Robertson having 1 son 9
  • Ensign. John Mann U.E., (Man) (b. 1752) born in Stillwater, New York, USA from Stillwater, New York, USA who settled in New Carlisle and Paspébiac, Gaspé, Quebec c. 1784 he enlisted in 1771 serving in Jessup's Rangers and the Kings Royal Regiment of New York, married to Elizabeth Pemberton having 5 children, he died in 1805 9
  • Capt. Samuel Mann U.E., (Man) who settled in Canada c. 1784 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Mann Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • William Mann, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Favourite" in 1815
  • John Mann, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Favourite" in 1815
  • Elijah Mann, who arrived in Canada in 1829
  • Mrs. Mary Mann, aged 35 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Free Trader" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 10
  • Mr. William Mann, aged 30 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Rankin" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mann migration to Australia +

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

Mann Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Mann, British convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
  • Mr. James Mann, English convict who was convicted in Warwickshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Fame" on 9th October 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
  • Mr. William Mann, British Convict who was convicted in Suffolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
  • William Mann, a shipwright, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
  • Mr. Charles Mann, British convict who was convicted in Thetford, Norfolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 29th September 1831, settling in New South Wales, Australia 14
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mann 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:

Mann Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Mann, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Arab
  • Jonathan Mann, aged 32, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arab" in 1841
  • Eliza Mann, aged 32, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arab" in 1841
  • John Mann, aged 13, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mariner" in 1849
  • Edward Mann, aged 50, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "New Era" in 1855
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mann 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. 15
Mann Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Miss Ann Mann, (b. 1618), aged 17, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 16
  • Mr. Francis Mann, (b. 1616), aged 19, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Expedition" arriving in Barbados in 1636 17
  • Mr. John Mann, (b. 1614), aged 21, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Expedition" arriving in Barbados in 1636 17
Mann Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century
  • Isaac Mann, who arrived in Dominica in 1774 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Mann (post 1700) +

  • Ed Mann (1954-2024), American musician best known for his mallet percussion performances onstage with Frank Zappa's ensemble from 1977 to 1988
  • Cyrus Mann Jr. (1956-2022), American NBA basketball player for the Boston Celtics in 1975
  • Katinka Mann (1925-2022), American artist and sculptor, born in New York City, known for her collections in the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, New York
  • Marion Mann (1920-2022), American academic, physician and pathologist, Dean of the College of Medicine at Howard University from 1970 to 1979
  • Dick Mann (1934-2021), American professional motorcycle racer, two-time winner of the A.M.A. Grand National Championship, inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1993, and the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998
  • Carl Mann (1942-2020), American rockabilly singer and pianist from Huntingdon, Tennessee
  • Murray Gell- Mann (1929-2020), American physicist who received the 1969 Nobel Prize in physics for his work on the theory of elementary particles
  • Carol Mann (1941-2018), American professional LPGA golfer, inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame
  • Robert Nathaniel Mann (1920-2018), American violinist, composer, conductor, founding member of the Juilliard String Quartet
  • Woodrow Wilson Mann (1916-2002), American Democratic Party politician, Insurance broker; Mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas, 1956-57
  • ... (Another 174 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Air New Zealand Flight 901
  • Miss Dorothy Maude Mann (1930-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Te Atatu, Auckland, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash 18
Bismarck
  • Martin Mann (1921-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 19
Halifax Explosion
HMAS Sydney II
  • Mr. Keith Arthur Mann (1922-1941), Australian Ordinary Seaman from Caulfield, Victoria, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 21
HMS Hood
  • Mr. Arthur J Mann (b. 1921), English Ordinary Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Manor Park, Essex, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 22
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. William L Mann, British S B A, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 23
North Sea Flood
  • William Mann, British worker aboard the ferry "Princess Victoria" killed in the North Sea Flood, a major storm surge in 1953
St. Francis Dam
  • Mr. George A. Mann, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928
USS Arizona
  • Mr. Charles C. Mann, American Lieutenant working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 24
  • Mr. William Edward Mann, American Gunner's Mate Third Class from Washington, 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 24
USS Indianapolis
  • Clifford Eugene Mann, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 25


Suggested Readings for the name Mann +

  • George Adam Mann, 1734-1821: a Family on Four Frontiers, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio by Dorothy C. Knoff.
  • The Manns of Edwards County, Illinois by Betty M. Mann.

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  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1831
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  16. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  17. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  18. Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
  19. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details
  20. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  21. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
  22. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  23. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  24. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
  25. Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew


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