NameCensus.

UK surname

Mayo

A surname of Irish origin, referring to a person descended from the clan of the yew tree.

In the 1881 census there were 2,313 people recorded with the Mayo surname, ranking it #1,930 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,514, also still ranked #1,930.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cotswold, Forest of Dean and Monmouthshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mayo is 3,618 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.9%.

1881 census count

2,313

Ranked #1,930

Modern count

3,514

2016, ranked #1,930

Peak year

1999

3,618 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mayo had 2,313 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,930 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,514 in 2016, ranked #1,930.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,275 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mayo surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mayo surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mayo 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 1,503 #1,909
1861 historical 1,072 #2,627
1881 historical 2,313 #1,930
1891 historical 2,143 #2,171
1901 historical 2,926 #1,914
1911 historical 3,275 #1,596
1997 modern 3,409 #1,898
1998 modern 3,554 #1,898
1999 modern 3,618 #1,880
2000 modern 3,562 #1,902
2001 modern 3,487 #1,899
2002 modern 3,556 #1,909
2003 modern 3,464 #1,917
2004 modern 3,449 #1,917
2005 modern 3,396 #1,917
2006 modern 3,401 #1,908
2007 modern 3,427 #1,912
2008 modern 3,486 #1,904
2009 modern 3,517 #1,937
2010 modern 3,590 #1,939
2011 modern 3,550 #1,937
2012 modern 3,488 #1,936
2013 modern 3,564 #1,926
2014 modern 3,545 #1,951
2015 modern 3,499 #1,952
2016 modern 3,514 #1,930

Geography

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Where Mayos are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes, Manchester, Lambeth and Chesham (incl. Chartridge, Billington & Latimers with Waterside. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cotswold, Forest of Dean and Monmouthshire. 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 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Chesham (incl. Chartridge, Billington & Latimers with Waterside Buckinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cotswold 001 Cotswold
2 Forest of Dean 001 Forest of Dean
3 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
4 Monmouthshire 010 Monmouthshire
5 Monmouthshire 008 Monmouthshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mayo

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mayo

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mayo, 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 Mayo surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Mayo 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mayo is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mayo is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mayo falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mayo 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 Mayo, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mayo

The surname "MAYO" is of Spanish origin, derived from the word "mayo" which means "May" in Spanish. It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century as a descriptive surname for someone who was born or baptized in the month of May.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname MAYO can be found in medieval Spanish records and manuscripts from the regions of Galicia, Asturias, and Cantabria. It is possible that the name was also adopted by Sephardic Jews who lived in Spain before their expulsion in 1492.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname MAYO was Pedro Mayo, a prominent military leader and conquistador who participated in the Spanish conquest of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico during the 16th century. He was born in Seville, Spain, around 1490 and died in Mérida, Mexico, in 1541.

Another notable person with the surname MAYO was Juan Mayo, a Spanish painter and sculptor who lived in the 16th century. He was born in Burgos, Spain, around 1520 and is best known for his religious works, including several altarpieces and sculptures that can still be found in churches throughout Spain.

In the 17th century, the surname MAYO gained prominence in England and Ireland, possibly due to Spanish immigration or trade connections. One of the earliest recorded instances in England was Robert Mayo, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in London in the late 1600s.

In the 18th century, the surname MAYO was also found in America, with some of the earliest recorded instances being William Mayo, who was born in Virginia in 1733, and John Mayo, who fought in the American Revolutionary War and was born in Massachusetts in 1762.

Other notable individuals with the surname MAYO include Charles Mayo, an American surgeon and co-founder of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who was born in 1865 and died in 1939. His brother, William Mayo, also a co-founder of the Mayo Clinic, was born in 1861 and died in 1939.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mayo families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mayo 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. Gloucestershire leads with 341 Mayos recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.74x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 341 7.74x
Middlesex 277 1.23x
Lancashire 181 0.68x
Surrey 167 1.53x
Warwickshire 148 2.61x
Dorset 121 8.21x
Herefordshire 119 12.92x
Staffordshire 110 1.45x
Worcestershire 99 3.38x
Northamptonshire 86 4.07x
Buckinghamshire 81 5.97x
Berkshire 59 3.50x
Hertfordshire 59 3.81x
Oxfordshire 54 3.89x
Somerset 49 1.36x
Yorkshire 44 0.20x
Devon 37 0.79x
Kent 34 0.44x
Glamorgan 32 0.82x
Nottinghamshire 31 1.02x
Wiltshire 29 1.46x
Monmouthshire 25 1.54x
Essex 20 0.45x
Norfolk 17 0.49x
Sussex 17 0.45x
Hampshire 14 0.30x
Lincolnshire 8 0.22x
Cumberland 7 0.36x
Leicestershire 7 0.28x
Cheshire 5 0.10x
Durham 4 0.06x
Lanarkshire 4 0.06x
Bedfordshire 3 0.26x
Channel Islands 3 0.45x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.10x
Derbyshire 2 0.06x
Brecknockshire 1 0.22x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.07x
Cardiganshire 1 0.18x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.19x
Northumberland 1 0.03x
Royal Navy 1 0.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 54 Mayos recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.48x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 54 2.48x
Lambeth 52 2.66x
Walsall Foreign 43 10.98x
Chesham 36 71.96x
Aston 33 2.12x
Birmingham 33 1.75x
Kensington London 32 2.56x
Blockley 30 180.94x
Newington 30 3.62x
Shaftesbury St James 28 364.11x
Salford 27 3.45x
Bisley 25 62.64x
Towcester 25 114.78x
Camberwell 23 1.60x
Eldersfield 22 478.26x
Pendleton In Salford 21 6.62x
Wantage 20 74.43x
Marston St Lawrence 19 635.45x
Minsterworth 19 591.90x
Stroud 19 22.17x
Gloucester St Nicholas 17 83.37x
Manchester 17 1.42x
Fownhope 16 198.76x
Leamington Priors 16 11.48x
Nottingham St Mary 16 2.04x
Blackburn 15 2.12x
Great Yarmouth 15 5.24x
St Pancras London 15 0.83x
Woolhope 15 261.78x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 14 17.37x
Handsworth 14 7.49x
West Ham 14 1.43x
Aston Clinton 13 112.95x
Bodenham 13 192.02x
Bow London 12 4.20x
Godalming 12 17.42x
Hereford St Peter 12 48.78x
Hitchin 12 17.18x
Ledbury 12 37.95x
Upway 12 214.29x
Wycombe 12 11.86x
Battersea 11 1.33x
Beckenham 11 10.98x
Coventry Holy Trinity 11 6.51x
East Challow 11 4782.61x
Harborne 11 4.53x
Newton Abbot St Mary 11 28.05x
Nottingham St Nicholas 11 26.69x
St Marylebone London 11 0.92x
Tipton 11 4.74x
Abbots Langley 10 43.50x
Accrington 10 4.13x
Buckland 10 150.60x
Chiswick 10 8.15x
Fordington 10 31.50x
Oaksey 10 303.95x
Portishead 10 37.22x
Rampisham 10 448.43x
Roath 10 5.63x
Stoke 10 89.69x
Swindon 10 6.49x
Westbury On Trym 10 6.70x
Ystradyfodwg 10 2.92x
Brighton 9 1.18x
Cann 9 209.30x
Dorsington 9 1250.00x
Elmore 9 332.10x
Hempstead 9 166.98x
Pershore Holy Cross 9 47.90x
Poxwell 9 1363.64x
Sheffield 9 1.27x
Shepperton 9 90.82x
St Andrew Holborn 9 11.82x
Stonehouse 9 35.96x
Tidenham Beachley 9 188.68x
Westbury On Severn 9 51.58x
Clerkenwell London 8 1.51x
Deptford St Paul 8 1.35x
Heaton Norris 8 5.27x
Painswick 8 25.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 143
Elizabeth 84
Sarah 74
Jane 51
Ann 44
Emily 41
Annie 40
Ellen 35
Alice 34
Eliza 34
Emma 29
Florence 21
Hannah 19
Louisa 19
Martha 19
Ada 18
Caroline 17
Fanny 17
Edith 16
Margaret 13
Maria 13
Lucy 12
Catherine 10
Charlotte 10
Harriet 10
Agnes 9
Clara 9
Kate 9
Rosa 9
Harriett 8
Matilda 7
Rose 7
Amy 6
Anne 6
Esther 6
Helen 6
Rebecca 6
Rosina 6
Amelia 5
Beatrice 5
Eleanor 5
Gertrude 5
Maud 5
Rachel 5
Sophia 5
Eva 4
Frances 4
Jessie 4
Leah 4
Lilly 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 147
John 120
George 96
Thomas 85
Charles 67
James 56
Henry 55
Joseph 36
Frederick 30
Alfred 27
Arthur 25
Albert 19
Herbert 19
Edward 18
Walter 18
Harry 17
Robert 16
Ernest 13
Richard 13
Samuel 13
Edwin 11
Frank 11
Benjamin 10
Daniel 9
Francis 8
Job 7
David 6
Fredrick 6
Fred 5
Wm. 5
Jesse 4
Mark 4
Percy 4
Tom 4
Elias 3
Harold 3
Henery 3
Jeremiah 3
Peter 3
Sidney 3
Sydney 3
Aurthur 2
Bartholomew 2
Cornelius 2
Hubert 2
Jonah 2
Jonathan 2
Levi 2
Lewis 2
Saml. 2

FAQ

Mayo surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mayo surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,313 people were recorded with the Mayo surname. That placed it at #1,930 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mayo surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,514 in 2016. That gives Mayo a modern rank of #1,930.

What does the Mayo surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin, referring to a person descended from the clan of the yew tree.

What does the Mayo map show?

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