Surname Mainey - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
Mainey: What does the surname Mainey mean?
The last name Mainey is an English surname, originating from the Anglo-Saxon culture. It has multiple spellings including Mainey, Mainy, Mainie, Mane, and many others. It is believed to derive from a diminutive of the old English male personal name, Mainard.
The origin of this name is heavily debated, but some sources have linked it to the word "man", which is associated with strength and vigor. It likely had the same meaning during the Middle Ages when taking on a surname was common.
Mainey is a locational surname, meaning that it was most likely given to people who originated from a specific place. Most of these people hailed from NE Spain, but were later found in various parts of the British Isles, particularly Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The Mainey family could often be found living in coastal areas. Many were merchants, artisans, farmers, and fishermen, so it’s speculated that they chose to settle in those areas due to an easy access to the sea.
The Mainey family is part of a larger group of names,including Main, Man, Muhair, Menel, and many others. Today, Mainey is distributed quite evenly across the British Isles, suggesting that many of the 17th and 18th century Mainey migrants had traveled and found homes in many different areas.
Order DNA origin analysisMainey: Where does the name Mainey come from?
The last name Mainey is most concentrated in the United States, where it ranks 8,530th in terms of popularity. The highest concentration of people with the last name Mainey lives in Pennsylvania, where it is the 1802nd most common last name. It is also found in smaller numbers throughout the rest of the world, particularly in the United Kingdom, Canada, Slovakia, China, and New Zealand.
Mainey is believed to be an occupational name, deriving from a Middle English term meaning "roadmaker". It is thought that Mainey may have been the surname of those who constructed or maintained roads and trackways. It is possible that this could account in part for its increased prevalence in Pennsylvania near the time of American independence, when there was a significant amount of infrastructure growth.
Today, Mainey is scattered across the United States and around the world. While it is seemingly less common than it once was, it is still a recognizable surname that continues to represent both a strong work ethic and a proud heritage.
Variations of the surname Mainey
Maine, Mainey, Maney, Main, Maines and Manny are all variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin.
The surname Mainey originated in England and is a variant of the name Maine. This name is derived from the Middle English mene or meneie, which refers to an enclosed park or a large pasture. The name Mainey is simply an Anglicized version of the French name Maine.
The variant spelling for the surname Mainey is Maines. This version of the surname most likely originated in the United States. The spelling Maines was mostly used in the Pennsylvania and Kentucky regions in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Although, by the mid-1800s, this surname could be found throughout the United States.
The variant spelling Manny is likely related to the surname Mainey as Maney and Manny are both derived from the same French name - Maine. This variant originated in France in the eight century and later arrived in England in the eleventh or twelfth century.
The variant Maney is first recorded in England during the thirteenth century. The spelling Maney can also be traced to France, as it is a variant of the word Mainet, which means a “large horse.”
In conclusion, the variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Mainey are Maine, Mainey, Maney, Main, Maines and Manny. All of these surnames are derived from the French name Maine and refer to an enclosed park or pasture.
Famous people with the name Mainey
- Ansel Mainey: celebrity stylist and media personality
- Siobhan Mainey: British television presenter
- Gabrielle Mainey: film director
- Aimee Mainey: fashion designer and entrepreneur
- Sam Mainey: entrepreneur, influencer, and digital marketing strategist
- Chris Mainey: actor and director
- David Mainey: actor
- Suzie Mainey: visual artist and sculptor
- Natalia Mainey: nutritionist, health coach, and Youtuber
- Mingzhu Mainey: painter and mixed media artist