NameCensus.

UK surname

Mayhew

From an English place name meaning "may hedge," referring to a boundary hedge that flowered in May.

In the 1881 census there were 2,469 people recorded with the Mayhew surname, ranking it #1,801 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,833, ranked #1,769, up from #1,801 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Suffolk Coastal and Mid Suffolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mayhew is 4,040 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.2%.

1881 census count

2,469

Ranked #1,801

Modern count

3,833

2016, ranked #1,769

Peak year

1999

4,040 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mayhew had 2,469 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,801 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,833 in 2016, ranked #1,769.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,283 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mayhew surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mayhew surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mayhew 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 1,721 #1,675
1861 historical 1,401 #2,044
1881 historical 2,469 #1,801
1891 historical 2,588 #1,836
1901 historical 3,073 #1,820
1911 historical 3,283 #1,591
1997 modern 3,945 #1,649
1998 modern 4,027 #1,680
1999 modern 4,040 #1,682
2000 modern 4,024 #1,682
2001 modern 3,929 #1,682
2002 modern 4,038 #1,674
2003 modern 3,894 #1,699
2004 modern 3,875 #1,709
2005 modern 3,780 #1,736
2006 modern 3,731 #1,758
2007 modern 3,751 #1,761
2008 modern 3,778 #1,754
2009 modern 3,883 #1,753
2010 modern 3,984 #1,747
2011 modern 3,915 #1,750
2012 modern 3,800 #1,768
2013 modern 3,892 #1,760
2014 modern 3,925 #1,751
2015 modern 3,884 #1,748
2016 modern 3,833 #1,769

Geography

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Where Mayhews are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Lambeth and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Suffolk Coastal and Mid Suffolk. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Suffolk Coastal 002 Suffolk Coastal
2 Suffolk Coastal 004 Suffolk Coastal
3 Mid Suffolk 010 Mid Suffolk
4 Suffolk Coastal 007 Suffolk Coastal
5 Mid Suffolk 003 Mid Suffolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mayhew

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mayhew

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Mayhew surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Mayhew 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Mayhew is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mayhew is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mayhew falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mayhew 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mayhew

The surname Mayhew is of English origin and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "mæg" meaning "kinsman" or "son," and "hēah" meaning "high" or "tall." Thus, the name likely referred to a tall or distinguished kinsman or son.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Mayhew appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Mahehu" in Cambridgeshire. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century and may have originated in the East Anglian region.

During the Middle Ages, the name was also found in various spellings such as Maheu, Mayhew, and Mayhugh, indicating regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. Some early bearers of the name were associated with places like Mayfield in Sussex and Mayhill in Herefordshire, hinting at potential connections between the surname and these locations.

One notable figure in English history with the surname Mayhew was Sir William Mayhew (c. 1500-1572), a wealthy merchant and landowner from London. He served as Lord Mayor of the City of London in 1561 and was known for his philanthropic efforts, including the establishment of a free grammar school in his hometown of Rye, Sussex.

Another prominent individual was Jonathan Mayhew (1720-1766), a Congregationalist minister and influential political writer during the American Revolution. His sermons and pamphlets, such as "A Discourse Concerning Unlimited Submission and Non-Resistance to the Higher Powers," played a significant role in shaping public opinion against British colonial policies.

In the literary world, Henry Mayhew (1812-1887) was a renowned English social researcher and journalist. His most famous work, "London Labour and the London Poor," provided a comprehensive account of the living conditions of the working class in Victorian London, based on extensive interviews and observations.

The surname Mayhew also found its way across the Atlantic, with notable figures such as Robert Mayhew (1615-1687), one of the early settlers of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, and a prominent landowner and public servant in the colony.

Lastly, Thomas Mayhew (1592-1682) was an English merchant and early colonial governor of Martha's Vineyard and the neighboring islands. He played a pivotal role in establishing settlements and negotiating with the Native American tribes in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mayhew families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mayhew 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. Suffolk leads with 732 Mayhews recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.93x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 732 24.93x
Middlesex 553 2.29x
Surrey 280 2.38x
Essex 186 3.91x
Kent 118 1.43x
Norfolk 115 3.10x
Yorkshire 70 0.29x
Lancashire 41 0.14x
Bedfordshire 39 3.12x
Derbyshire 34 0.90x
Staffordshire 31 0.38x
Durham 27 0.38x
Hertfordshire 23 1.38x
Hampshire 22 0.45x
Cambridgeshire 21 1.38x
Nottinghamshire 20 0.62x
Warwickshire 20 0.33x
Sussex 19 0.47x
Northamptonshire 16 0.71x
Huntingdonshire 14 2.93x
Oxfordshire 13 0.87x
Cheshire 12 0.23x
Berkshire 11 0.61x
Worcestershire 11 0.35x
Buckinghamshire 8 0.55x
Gloucestershire 6 0.13x
Carmarthenshire 4 0.39x
Devon 4 0.08x
Cumberland 3 0.14x
Inverness-shire 3 0.42x
Northumberland 3 0.08x
Cornwall 2 0.07x
Royal Navy 2 0.70x
Brecknockshire 1 0.21x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.10x
Channel Islands 1 0.14x
Denbighshire 1 0.11x
Dorset 1 0.06x
Leicestershire 1 0.04x
Morayshire 1 0.27x
Somerset 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 71 Mayhews recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.25x.

Place Total Index
Hackney London 71 5.25x
Islington London 52 2.23x
Lambeth 52 2.47x
Chelsea London 45 6.20x
Coddenham 41 610.12x
Croydon 40 6.14x
St Pancras London 40 2.06x
Kensington London 37 2.76x
St Marylebone London 33 2.56x
Combs 31 316.33x
Mile End Old Town 31 8.15x
Ipswich St Mathew 27 32.81x
Wenhaston 26 359.12x
Worlingworth 26 489.64x
Battersea 25 2.82x
Darsham 24 670.39x
Paddington London 24 2.71x
Shoreditch London 24 2.30x
Bermondsey 23 3.21x
Sibton 23 569.31x
West Ham 22 2.09x
Camberwell 21 1.36x
Beccles 20 42.33x
Great Yarmouth 17 5.54x
Kelvedon 17 134.07x
Glossop Dale 16 9.05x
Rainham 16 154.44x
Walthamstow 16 9.34x
Whitton 16 307.10x
Wickham Market 16 131.80x
Deptford St Paul 15 2.36x
Fressingfield 15 158.56x
Hammersmith London 15 2.53x
Ipswich St Clement 15 20.10x
Newington 15 1.68x
Stanton 15 215.52x
Birmingham 14 0.69x
Copdock 14 528.30x
Framlingham 14 67.18x
Great Barford 14 215.38x
St George Martyr 14 34.46x
Baylham 13 283.22x
Streatham 13 7.27x
Witham 13 53.04x
Barking 12 78.95x
Bedford St Mary 12 37.33x
Bethnal Green London 12 1.15x
Chesterfield 12 8.48x
Crayford 12 33.41x
Edmonton 12 6.18x
Misterton 12 119.28x
Southwold 12 69.04x
Stowmarket 12 35.37x
Bardwell 11 176.00x
Chislehurst 11 24.94x
Clerkenwell London 11 1.93x
Bishopwearmouth 10 1.62x
Bow London 10 3.26x
Braintree 10 23.41x
Clapham 10 3.32x
Fulham London 10 2.86x
Hulme 10 1.67x
Ipswich St Peter 10 25.30x
Milton In Gravesend 10 8.11x
Aldeby 9 169.49x
Beaumont 9 254.96x
Carlton Colville 9 83.57x
Denton 9 224.44x
Easton 9 255.68x
Great Glemham 9 316.90x
Grundisburgh 9 132.55x
Middleton 9 216.87x
Oxford St Giles 9 12.67x
Rochester St Nicholas 9 35.17x
Sotterley 9 409.09x
Sproughton 9 175.44x
St Giles In Fields 9 10.83x
Stansted Mountfitchet 9 74.88x
Stradbroke 9 90.73x
Whittlesey St Mary St 9 16.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 136
Elizabeth 78
Sarah 73
Emma 65
Eliza 52
Alice 41
Annie 39
Ellen 39
Jane 38
Emily 36
Ann 33
Caroline 26
Maria 26
Hannah 23
Florence 21
Charlotte 20
Edith 18
Kate 18
Harriet 17
Louisa 17
Fanny 15
Ada 14
Margaret 14
Catherine 12
Clara 12
Harriett 12
Anna 11
Jessie 11
Rose 11
Susan 10
Susannah 10
Agnes 9
Lucy 9
Matilda 9
Eleanor 8
Martha 8
Amelia 7
Julia 7
Rosa 7
Sophia 7
Amy 6
Anne 6
Esther 6
Ethel 6
Laura 6
Bertha 5
May 5
Minnie 5
Nellie 5
Rachel 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 128
George 123
John 92
James 79
Henry 62
Thomas 57
Charles 51
Frederick 46
Arthur 39
Alfred 36
Samuel 34
Edward 32
Robert 30
Walter 24
Joseph 23
Harry 18
Albert 16
Herbert 13
Edgar 10
Ernest 10
David 9
Francis 9
Frank 8
Mark 8
Richard 8
Wm. 7
Horace 6
Frederic 5
Geo. 5
Thos. 5
Daniel 4
Edwin 4
Fredk. 4
Stephen 4
Benjamin 3
Fredrick 3
Isaac 3
Jeremiah 3
Sidney 3
Wilfred 3
Anthony 2
C. 2
Joshua 2
Josiah 2
Luke 2
Orford 2
Percival 2
Percy 2
Robt. 2
Rt. 2

FAQ

Mayhew surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mayhew surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,469 people were recorded with the Mayhew surname. That placed it at #1,801 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mayhew surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,833 in 2016. That gives Mayhew a modern rank of #1,769.

What does the Mayhew surname mean?

From an English place name meaning "may hedge," referring to a boundary hedge that flowered in May.

What does the Mayhew map show?

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