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History and Use of the Family Name Macon
Macon is an ancient family name with a rich
history of French connections. The name is found to be mentioned more than a
thousand years ago in various records. The settlers of Macon families in
England now live in many British colonies across the world. American settlers
have played prominent roles in contributing to the local culture. Several
literary texts and church manuscripts also show mentions of the name Macon.
There is also a city by this name.
Etymology
of the word Macon
The Macon family gets its name from the Old
English and Old French word masson which
probably originated in the 8th century. It literally means a
stone-mason. Many people from the French towns of Allier, Aube, the Côte d’Or, Deux-Sères,
Gers, Saône-et-Loire, etc. bore this family name. The name may also have come
from an old oblique form of the name, Mako. Mako is a Germanic personal name
derived from Mago, which is short for a compound name formed using the words
‘maht’ or strength and power.
The
Skill of Masonry
After the Norman quest of 1066 the name,
which was popular among Normans at that time, arrived in England. Along with
the name, the skill of masonry was also brought to the country and apprentices
or masons were appointed to serve expert craftsmen. As a result, many stone
structures were built in the country, which had few or none such structures
previously.
Variations
in the Name
Variations in the name range from Macon to
Mazun among others such as Mason, Masson, Macun, Machun, Machon, Massen, Machen,
Machent, Machin. This was more or less the result of the absence of any
spelling rules in Old and Middle English. When Norman French was brought to
England and French and Latin came to be used as court languages, the variations
grew significantly.
Earliest
Records of the Surname
Records of a family seat in the name of
this ancient family name have been found in the isle of Thanet, Kent. The
family was rewarded with land possessions after their service at the Battle of
Hastings in 1066 AD. Thee liege lord of that time, Duke William of Normandy
himself bestowed the rewards.
Richard Machun finds mention in charters of
the Danelaw, for the county of Lincolnshire, during the reign of King Henry,
the first, as early as 1120.
Similarly, John Macun finds mention in
scripts of 1130. His name has been found in the building accounts that same
year.
Ace le Mazun, a name with a slight
variation in spelling, has been found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in
1193.
In some of the surviving records of St.
Margaret’s Westminster, mentions of Elizabeth Masson and Awdry Mason can be
found. Elizabeth’s christening on 21st July 1540, and Awdry’s marriage to
William Elyat on 10th June 1548 have been mentioned to have taken place here.
Prominent
People with the Name
George Mason (1725-1792) was the man
responsible for the Virginia Bill of Rights. The American Statesman is one of
the earliest prominent personalities from the family.
The late Major General Robert Chauncey
Macon has served as American Deputy Chief of Staff Army Field Forces from
1949-1952.
Geological
Spread of the Name
Many of the English families of Masons left
England for British colonies in other continents. Even though they were disease
and strife-stricken, they managed to gain wealth and became significant
contributors to the cultures of the States of US and Canada. Immigrant records
of these countries show many Mason families moving into the continent. Elias
Macon came to Virginia, US in 1664. Following him, Corn, Gideon and Wm Macon
arrived in the state in 1701, 1703 and 1711 respectively. Jose Luciano Macon
arrived in Puerto Rico in 1816.
Usage
of the Name for Places and Things
Macon is the name of a city in central
Georgia. It is also called the City of Maples.
The USS Macon was a massive Navy Zeppelin
that crashed off the California coast in 1935.
Macon is also a food item similar to bacon.
However, this usage has no relevance to the family name.
Usage
in Literature
“By Melun, Auxerre, Autun, and Macon”is a
phrase used in The Automobilist Abroad
by M.F. Mansfield. A letter addressed to Nathaniel Macon by Thomas Jefferson is
part of The Memoirs, Correspondence and Miscellanies, From the Papers of Thomas
Jefferson. Several other texts mention the city of Macon, the Macon Street,
etc.
Meaning
and Usage of the Name Tom Macon
Tom is derived from the Biblical name
Thomas, which is the name of a saint in Christianity. The name Thomas is the
Greek term for the Aramaic name Taoma which means ‘twin’. It is a common first
name.
On Whitepages, 64 people in the US have
been found to have this name.