NameCensus.

UK surname

Maye

Derived from the Old English given name "Maeg," meaning "relative" or "kinsman."

In the 1881 census there were 113 people recorded with the Maye surname, ranking it #18,412 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 446, ranked #10,871, up from #18,412 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Mary Stoke Newington, London parishes and Eccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Berkshire, Waltham Forest and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Maye is 477 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 294.7%.

1881 census count

113

Ranked #18,412

Modern count

446

2016, ranked #10,871

Peak year

2010

477 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Maye had 113 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,412 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 446 in 2016, ranked #10,871.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 297 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Maye surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Maye surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Maye 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 125 #14,700
1861 historical 297 #8,508
1881 historical 113 #18,412
1891 historical 161 #17,473
1901 historical 96 #23,342
1911 historical 147 #18,104
1997 modern 378 #11,474
1998 modern 385 #11,698
1999 modern 387 #11,722
2000 modern 379 #11,855
2001 modern 374 #11,805
2002 modern 407 #11,294
2003 modern 395 #11,364
2004 modern 414 #11,005
2005 modern 435 #10,480
2006 modern 438 #10,469
2007 modern 443 #10,467
2008 modern 443 #10,559
2009 modern 460 #10,481
2010 modern 477 #10,410
2011 modern 451 #10,766
2012 modern 433 #10,996
2013 modern 464 #10,589
2014 modern 464 #10,645
2015 modern 460 #10,652
2016 modern 446 #10,871

Geography

Back to top

Where Mayes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Mary Stoke Newington, London parishes, Eccles, Staverton and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Berkshire, Waltham Forest, Doncaster, Northampton and Barnet. 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 St Mary Stoke Newington London (North Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Eccles Lancashire
4 Staverton Devon
5 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Berkshire 015 West Berkshire
2 Waltham Forest 027 Waltham Forest
3 Doncaster 032 Doncaster
4 Northampton 015 Northampton
5 Barnet 023 Barnet

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Maye

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Maye

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Maye, 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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Maye surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Maye 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Maye is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Maye 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

Maye falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Maye 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
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Maye

The surname Maye originated in England during the late medieval period, derived from the Old English word "maew" or "mayo", meaning a male relative or kinsman. It was initially used as a descriptive name to refer to a male relative or distant cousin.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Maye can be traced back to the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Richard le Maye" in Huntingdonshire. This suggests that the name was well-established in England by the 13th century.

The surname Maye is also found in various early records, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, which mention "Hugh Maye", and the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, listing "Walter le Maye".

In the 14th century, the surname Maye appeared in the form "Mayow" in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1381, where a certain "John Mayow" was mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

One notable figure from history bearing the surname Maye was Sir Robert Maye (c. 1480-1558), a prominent English merchant and Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis during the reign of King Henry VIII.

Another prominent individual was John Maye (c. 1590-1660), an English clergyman who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1648 to 1652 and was a staunch Royalist during the English Civil War.

In the 17th century, the surname Maye was also found in the form "May" in various records, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1665, which listed "William May" as a landowner in the village of Kidlington.

A notable figure from this period was Baptist May (1629-1698), an English nonconformist minister and writer who published several religious works, including "A Little Treatise of the Last Judgment" in 1693.

Moving into the 18th century, the surname Maye continued to be found in various records, including the parish registers of St. Mary's Church in Weymouth, Dorset, where a certain "John Maye" was baptized in 1712.

One prominent individual from this era was William Maye (1734-1815), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and later became a Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis.

Throughout its history, the surname Maye has been associated with various places and locations in England, including Huntingdonshire, Yorkshire, Worcestershire, Essex, Oxfordshire, and Dorset, reflecting the widespread distribution of the name across different regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Maye families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Maye 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 36 Mayes recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.83x.

County Total Index
Devon 36 15.83x
Northamptonshire 13 12.65x
Lancashire 12 0.93x
Warwickshire 11 3.99x
Surrey 10 1.88x
Yorkshire 8 0.74x
Middlesex 7 0.64x
Lincolnshire 5 2.86x
Glamorgan 3 1.58x
Norfolk 2 1.19x
Sussex 2 1.09x
Essex 1 0.46x
Leicestershire 1 0.83x
Staffordshire 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Charleton in Devon leads with 12 Mayes recorded in 1881 and an index of 6000.00x.

Place Total Index
Charleton 12 6000.00x
Staverton 10 3571.43x
Silverstone 7 1627.91x
Coventry St Michael 6 67.80x
Broadhempston 5 2380.95x
Lambeth 5 5.25x
Newington 5 12.39x
Withnell 5 625.00x
Gainsborough 4 97.09x
Northampton Priory St 4 64.94x
Salford 4 10.49x
Birmingham 3 3.27x
Bradford 3 11.45x
Totnes 3 225.56x
Aston 2 2.64x
Bickington 2 2222.22x
Brighton 2 5.38x
Dartington 2 833.33x
Horton In Bradford 2 11.83x
Kettering 2 48.08x
Liverpool 2 2.54x
Roath 2 23.15x
St Sepulchre London 2 125.00x
Thetford St Mary 2 434.78x
Cleckheaton 1 25.06x
Deeping St Nicholas 1 196.08x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 19.19x
Hackney London 1 1.63x
Handsworth 1 11.00x
Holy Trinity 1 3.84x
Leicester St Mary 1 10.22x
Little Warley 1 333.33x
Lytham 1 50.51x
Nether Hallam 1 6.83x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 5.71x
Shadwell London 1 32.68x
St George Martyr 1 54.35x
St Marylebone London 1 1.71x
Tottenham 1 5.75x
Ystradyfodwg 1 6.00x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
John 8
Thomas 8
George 4
James 4
Henry 3
Michael 3
Arthur 2
Richard 2
Ch.Pettinger 1
Graham 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
Jeffry 1
Joseph 1
Matthew 1
Nathaniel 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
Stanley 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Maye surname: questions and answers

How common was the Maye surname in 1881?

In 1881, 113 people were recorded with the Maye surname. That placed it at #18,412 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Maye surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 446 in 2016. That gives Maye a modern rank of #10,871.

What does the Maye surname mean?

Derived from the Old English given name "Maeg," meaning "relative" or "kinsman."

What does the Maye map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Maye 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.