Surname Mead - Meaning and Origin

Mead: What does the surname Mead mean?

The last name Mead comes from an Old English word meaning “meadow” or “mead hall.” In medieval times, mead was a type of beer, and mead halls were where people gathered to spend time and enjoy the drink. The mead hall was a staple of Anglo-Saxon and Viking life, and the people who gathered in them were known by the last name "Mead."

In the modern age, some people with the surname Mead trace their lineage back to England, where the Normans introduced it after the Conquest of 1066. Others come from Scotland, where the name originated from the Gaelic "Meadh," which also means "meadow."

Mead is also a common name in the United States. This can be attributed to the Protestant Anglo-Saxons who immigrated to America during the Colonial Era in the 1700s. The earliest known Meads to come to America was the family of Abraham or Abraham Mead who landed in Delaware in 1675.

Those with the name Mead, no matter where their origins, tend to be incredibly independent, with a strong sense of self and an unwavering sense of justice. They are committed to sustaining their values, and they stand up for their rights and beliefs.

Mead: Where does the name Mead come from?

The surname Mead is a relatively common one today, both in the United States and in other parts of the world. In the U.S., it is in the top 1,000 surnames according to the Social Security Administration, and is estimated to have around 22,000 bearers in the country. It is most prevalent in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest regions of the United States.

The name is thought to be of English derivation, referring to someone who lived in or near a meadow. As with some other English surnames, it's use in the U.S. may be may be due to it being adopted by settlers from Britain.

Outside the U.S., the name is also relatively common, and is thought to be of either English, Irish, German or Dutch origins. In England and Wales, there were around 5,400 people bearing the name Mead in 2019, roughly 0.01% of the population.

It is also found in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and several other countries. While it is slightly less common in these parts of the world, it is still a fairly common surname.

Variations of the surname Mead

Mead is an English surname which refers to a location near a meadow or a grazing field. It is also a common occupational name for someone who managed or owned such lands. Variants of the surname Mead include Meade, M(e)ade, Meed, Meeds, Mede, Medes, Meid, Meide, Meidt, Medd, Meddes and Meds.

Mead is a fairly popular surname in the United States. In New England, the spelling/surname Meed has been found to predominate among descendants of John Meed who emigrated from England to America in the 1600s. Other spellings in this area include Medd, Meddes and Medds. It is possible that immigrants from other parts of England/Europe may have adopted different spellings along the migration process.

In Scotland, the surnames Med and Medd have been quite popular. The variations Mede and Medes are also found in Scotland, but to a lesser extent.

The Welsh spelling of Mead is Meid, and it is not uncommon to find the surnames Meide and Meidt recorded in Welsh archives.

Mead is also an uncommon surname in Germany, and it tends to be spelled Meid or Meidt. Irish Mead surnames appear to be a variant of Meade, as in the Anglo-Saxon form of the name.

Overall, Mead is a surname that has many different variants which have developed over many generations. These variants all share a common ancestry and are usually derived from a geographical location, an occupation, or a regional spelling variation.

Famous people with the name Mead

• Margaret Mead: American cultural anthropologist.
• Sidney Mead: American architect, urban planner, and advocate for conservation and historic preservation.
• Taylor Mead: American poet, actor, and film star.
• Jesse Mead: American lawyer and political activist.
• Roger Mead: British physicist and author.
• Andrew Mead: American cinematographer.
• Jean Langdon Mead: American watercolor painter and commercial illustrator.
• Kathryn Mead: American painter, printmaker, sculptor, and potter.
• Peter Mead: English advertising executive and co-founder of the advertising agency, AMV BBDO.
• Joanna McClure Mead: American artist and prominent figure in the California Impressionism movement.
• George Herbert Mead: American philosopher, most noted for establishing the philosophical school of pragmatism.
• Brooke Mead: American actor, director, and voice artist.
• Carson J. Mead: American actor and stuntman.
• Dean Mead: British actor, director, and screenwriter.
• Elijah Mead: American aviator and chairman of the Ohio Aviation Hall of Fame.
• Elizabeth Talbot Mead: American gender and films theorist.
• Leslie Barton Mead: American psychologist and one of the founders of the Gestalt psychology movement.
• Nathan Mead: American naturalist, ecologist, and educator.
• Phyllis Mead: American fashion designer known for her unique creations in the 1940s and 1950s.
• Richard Angel Mead: English entomologist and botanist.

Other surnames

MeachamMeachenMeacherMeachumMeacockMeadeMeaderMeadersMeadlinMeadoMeadorMeadorsMeadowMeadowsMeadsMeadusMeaghMeagherMeakerMeakesMeakinMeakinsMeaksMealeyMeanleyMeanlyMeansMearesMearsMearse