Looking for people surnamed May in Ireland

 

Hi Braxton May:

That sounds to be an interesting surname project and the best of luck with it.  Did you input the surname into the 1901 and 1911 Census?  

I see that in 1901, there are 987 people with that surname in various locations around Ireland.  As you stated, Dublin and Antrim are very popular.  However, there is also Kerry, Cork, and other counties mentioned.  It might be interesting to look to see in what county  these 987 people stated that they were born?   

In 1911 there are 939 people with the surname.  They seem to be spread out amongst the above counties as well as Wexford, Galway, Donegal, Kings County and others.  

If you would like to create an Ancestor Profile about one of your May ancestors, that might assist your surname research.  The link is here:  https://irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/history-and-genealogy  If you have any other questions, please let us know.

Good luck!

 

All the best,

 

Jane

Here is what MacLysaght says about the surname May in his Surnames of Ireland:  "The English name May has several different derivations. In mediaeval Westmeath we find May as an Irish sept [tribe], viz. Ó Miadhaigh, which survives as Mea as well as May.  This is derived from miadhach [meaning] honorable."

He also explains that May is sometimes seen as an anglicization of the Irish surname Mac Máighe, which was assumed by some of the Condon family in County Cork, although it is more commonly anglicized as (Mac) Mawe.  The Irish name Mac Máighe ("son of Matthew") is based on the given name Maheu, an old form of the name Matthew.  The Condon (Irish from: Condún) family were a hibernicized Cambro-Norman (i.e. Welsh Norman) family, whose name was originally de Caunteton.  The Barony of Condons in County Cork is named for them. .