NameCensus.

UK surname

Mae

A female variation of the old French surname Mahieu, derived from the given name Matthew.

In the 1881 census there were 26 people recorded with the Mae surname, ranking it #29,911 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 179, ranked #21,086, up from #29,911 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lambeth, Southwark and Malvern Hills.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mae is 179 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 588.5%.

1881 census count

26

Ranked #29,911

Modern count

179

2016, ranked #21,086

Peak year

2016

179 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mae had 26 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,911 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 179 in 2016, ranked #21,086.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 26 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Mae surname distribution map

The map shows where the Mae surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Mae surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mae over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 20 #29,743
1881 historical 26 #29,911
1901 historical 3 #34,063
1997 modern 18 #36,053
1998 modern 26 #35,254
1999 modern 25 #35,413
2000 modern 23 #35,588
2001 modern 21 #35,646
2002 modern 23 #35,606
2003 modern 27 #35,279
2004 modern 25 #35,610
2005 modern 28 #35,510
2006 modern 34 #35,255
2007 modern 34 #35,410
2008 modern 38 #35,262
2009 modern 43 #35,088
2010 modern 53 #34,654
2011 modern 56 #34,450
2012 modern 88 #32,064
2013 modern 93 #31,785
2014 modern 115 #28,439
2015 modern 132 #25,859
2016 modern 179 #21,086

Geography

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Where Maes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lambeth, Southwark, Malvern Hills and Cardiff. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lambeth 022 Lambeth
2 Lambeth 017 Lambeth
3 Southwark 032 Southwark
4 Malvern Hills 002 Malvern Hills
5 Cardiff 016 Cardiff

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mae

These lists show first names that appear often with the Mae surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mae

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mae, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Mae surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Mae household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mae is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mae is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mae falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mae is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mae, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mae

The surname Mae is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Middle English word "maye," which referred to a young woman or maiden. This name may have been used as a descriptive nickname or a reference to the Virgin Mary.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mae surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from the year 1212, where a person named Richard Mae is mentioned. Another early reference appears in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1292, documenting a transaction involving a Thomas Mae.

In the 14th century, the surname Mae appears in various records across England, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1332, where a John Mae is listed, and the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, which include a Thomas Mae.

During the 16th century, the Mae surname can be found in the Parish Registers of Stratford-upon-Avon, where a Thomas Mae was baptized in 1579. Additionally, the Hearth Tax Returns of Oxfordshire from 1665 mention a Thomas Mae residing in the village of Kirtlington.

Notable individuals with the surname Mae throughout history include:

1. William Mae (c. 1490 - 1560), an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake during the reign of Queen Mary I.

2. Margaret Mae (fl. 1620), a midwife from Warwickshire who was accused of witchcraft but later acquitted.

3. John Mae (1650 - 1718), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Somerset, who served as a Member of Parliament for Taunton.

4. Elizabeth Mae (1675 - 1757), a renowned botanical illustrator and artist from Gloucestershire, known for her detailed drawings of plants and flowers.

5. Thomas Mae (1718 - 1792), a Anglican clergyman and scholar from Oxfordshire, who authored several theological works and served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Banbury.

While the Mae surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and various historical events, contributing to the diversity of surnames and their fascinating origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mae families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mae surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Devon leads with 6 Maes recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.95x.

County Total Index
Devon 6 10.95x
Kent 6 6.68x
Surrey 6 4.68x
Lancashire 5 1.60x
Middlesex 2 0.76x
Glamorgan 1 2.18x
Lanarkshire 1 1.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bampton in Devon leads with 6 Maes recorded in 1881 and an index of 3529.41x.

Place Total Index
Bampton 6 3529.41x
Lambeth 6 26.14x
Deptford St Paul 5 72.15x
Gorton 5 170.07x
Barony 1 4.64x
Harrow On The Hill 1 188.68x
Margate St John Baptist 1 60.98x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 22.68x
Paddington London 1 10.33x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Mae surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Ellen 2
Ann 1
Anover 1
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Elizabeth 1
Hannah 1
Katherine 1
Maria 1
Mary 1
Polly 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Mae surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Thomas 3
John 2
Charles 1
Edwd. 1
George 1
Iver 1
Lewis 1
Martin 1
Michael 1
Owen 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mae households.

FAQ

Mae surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mae surname in 1881?

In 1881, 26 people were recorded with the Mae surname. That placed it at #29,911 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mae surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 179 in 2016. That gives Mae a modern rank of #21,086.

What does the Mae surname mean?

A female variation of the old French surname Mahieu, derived from the given name Matthew.

What does the Mae map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mae bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.