Meaning & History
Etymology
Mayes is an English patronymic surname meaning "son of May." The given name May itself has multiple origins: it may derive from the month of May, named after the Roman goddess Maia; from the hawthorn flower; or it may be a diminutive of female names such as Mary, Margaret, or Mabel. Thus the surname potentially stems from a nickname or a maternal connection.
Notable Bearers
Notable individuals with the surname Mayes span diverse fields. In sports, American football players Adrian Mayes (born 1980) and Derrick Mayes (born 1974) achieved prominence, as did Clyde Mayes (born 1953) in basketball. English footballer Alan Mayes (born 1953) and Australian rugby league player Johnny Mayes (1947–2025) also carried the name. In politics, Colin Mayes (born 1948) served as a Canadian politician, Jeff Mayes (born 1971) as an American politician, and Kris Mayes (born 1970/71) became Arizona Attorney General. Joel B. Mayes (1833–1891) was Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Academia has Frances Mayes (born 1940), author of Under the Tuscan Sun, and Clifford Mayes (born 1953), professor of education. The performing arts include Bernard Mayes (1929–2014), a British-American broadcaster, and Ian Mayes, journalist and former readers' editor for The Guardian. Blues guitarist Pete Mayes (1938–2008) also contributed to the surname's legacy.
Mayes is linguistically parallel to other English patronymics such as Mathews or Matthews, though Mayes specifically anchors to the name May rather than Matthew. However, the variant Madison—meaning "son of Maud"—demonstrates a similar morphological pattern.
- Meaning: Patronymic of May
- Origin: English
- Type: Surname (patronymic)
- Usage regions: Primarily English-speaking countries
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Mayes