Macon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Macon family name to the British Isles. Macon is a name for a stone-mason. The name was originally derived from the Old English or Old French word masson. [1]

Early Origins of the Macon family

The surname Macon was first found in various counties and shires throughout Britain but one of the oldest was found in Kent on the Isle of Thanet. One of the earliest records on the name was found in London c. 1130 when John Macun was listed there at that time. A few years later, Ace le mazun was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Herefordshire in 1193 and Roger le Mason was listed in Oxfordshire in 1200. The Feet of Fines of Essex lists Godrey le Mascun in 1203 and Adam le Machon was listed in the Assize Roles of Northumberland in 1279. [2] The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Gotte le Mazoun in Huntingdonshire; and Nicholas le Macun in Buckinghamshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Willelmus Mason, mason. [3] About this time and perhaps before, Scotland had early listings of the name. They include: Richard the Mason, burgess of Aberdeen in 1271; John le Massum of Gascony who had claim against the bishop of St. Andrews in 1288; and William dictus Masceon who had a charter of land in the burgh of Berwick in 1307. [4]

Early History of the Macon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Macon research.

Macon Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Mason, Masson and others.

Early Notables of the Macon family (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Mason (1586-1635), born in King’s Lynn, became Governor of Newfoundland in 1615, and was one of the founders of New Hampshire; George Mason I (1629-1686) from Pershore, Worcestershire, who arrived at Norfolk, Virginia on the ship Assurance in 1652, he was great-grandfather of George Mason IV, a Founding Father of the United States; and his son, George Mason II (1660-1716), an early American planter and statesman.

Macon Ranking

In the United States, the name Macon is the 2,995^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. [5]

 Migration of the Macon family to Ireland

Some of the Macon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.

 Macon migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Macon or a variant listed above: 

Macon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

• Elias Macon, who landed in Virginia in 1664 [6]

Macon Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

• Corn Macon, who landed in Virginia in 1701 [6]
• Gideon Macon, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 [6]
• William Macon, who arrived in Virginia in 1711 [6]

Macon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Jose Luciano Macon, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1816 [6]

Contemporary Notables of the name Macon (post 1700) +

• Edwin Donald Macon (1927-2017), professional American football halfback
• Major-General Robert Chauncey Macon (1890-1980), American Deputy Chief of Staff Army Field Forces (1949-1952) [7]
• Pierre Macon, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and NapoleonicWars from 1789 to 1815 [8]
• John Macon Thome (1843-1908), American-born, Argentine astronomer
• Nathaniel Macon Burford (1824-1898), American politician, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives between 1866 and 1869
• Macon Brock (1942-2017), American retail executive and philanthropist, co-founder of Dollar Tree, Inc., an American chain of discount variety stores
• Macon C. Overton (1890-1918), American officer in the United States Marine Corps, eponym of the USS Overton (DD-239/APD–23), a Clemson-class destroyer

Related Stories +

The Macon Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Dum spiro spero
Motto Translation: While I have breath I have hope