The Mayes surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 25,256 people carried this name — #1,408 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 11,700 people counted. That is up 2% from 24,853 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Mayes surname

English surname, variant of May with genitival -s.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Mayes» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of May’.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 523 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 7 births for the Mayes name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 300 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. One of them was indexed under another spelling of the name.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 7

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Mayes was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Norfolk: 11 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 909. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Norfolk 11
Bedfordshire 8

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Mayes in American newspapers,
1907–1912.

Newspaper page from The Sun carrying the name Mayes
The Sun 1907-06-08
Newspaper page from Evening Star carrying the name Mayes
Evening Star 1908-11-29
Newspaper page from Evening Star carrying the name Mayes
Evening Star 1912-12-26

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Mayes in Australian newspapers,
1840s–2000s.

13,425 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Mayes. The most, 2,208, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 2.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 6,391
New South Wales 2,775
Victoria 1,715
South Australia 1,387
Western Australia 813
Tasmania 212
ACT (Canberra) 93
Northern Territory 9

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Mayes.

Who carried it

People named Mayes,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Samuel Houston Mayes
    Samuel Houston Mayes 1845–1927
  • Edward Mayes
    Edward Mayes 1846–1917 · educator
  • Alexander Mayes
    Alexander Mayes 1859–1941
  • Alexander Mayes
    Alexander Mayes 1859–1941
  • Henry Mayes
    Henry Mayes 1880–1928 · tennis player
  • Elias Mayes 1831–1910 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Mayes,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,361 records

1,361 records of the Mayes name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 756
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 317
  • Other U.S. records 288
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Robert Gresham Mayes

    Born 1940; from Hopewell, Virginia. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1967 in Phu Yen, South Vietnam. Buried at City Point National Cemetery, Virginia.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Edgar W. Mayes

    Born 1922 in Texas. Enlisted 1942 at Tyler; farm hand from Shelby County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1979, buried at Houston National Cemetery, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Catharina Mayes

    Arrived at New York in 1854 aboard the Martha J. Ward from Liverpool, aged 19; servant. From London, Germany; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,361 records for Mayes in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia337 records

337 records of the Mayes name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 140
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 75
  • Other Australian records 122
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Mayes

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Maitland, sailing from Norfolk Island in 1844. Native of Shoreditch, Middlesex. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1849.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Mayes

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Bombay, aged 30; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Allan R. Mayes

    Traveller of Nhill, Victoria; died 1953.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 337 records for Mayes in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom43 records

43 records of the Mayes name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 34
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 8
  • Stirling Council burial records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Isabella Mayes

    Buried in 1946 at Callander Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 57.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Francis Mayes

    Buried in 1821 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 57.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Mayes

    Leicestershire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 43 records for Mayes in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Canada37 records

37 records of the Mayes name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 12
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 8
  • Other Canadian records 17
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Julia Helen Mayes

    Buried in 1976 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 70.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Warren Bretall Mayes

    Died in service in 1943.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Laura I. Mayes

    Married 1899 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 37 records for Mayes in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Netherlands10 records

10 records of the Mayes name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 6
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 4
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Freddy John Louis Mayes

    Died 1965 in 's-Gravenhage, aged 81.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Mathew Albert Mayes

    Died 1974 in 's-Hertogenbosch.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Jack Mayes

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1907 in Rocky Mount.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Mayes in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Germany8 records

8 records of the Mayes name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Jakob Mayes

    From Mörs. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 25 March 1915 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 220).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Mathias Mayes

    From St. Tönis, Kempen. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 9 August 1916 (Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 57).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Theodor Mayes

    From Viersen. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 22 October 1914.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Mayes in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

France1 record

1 record of the Mayes name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jean Mayes

    Born 1923 in Neuilly-sur-Seine (Hauts-de-Seine); died 1995 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Mayes.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Mayes is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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