The 麦 surname

Mai (麦) is one of the surnames of Taishan and a common surname among the Cantonese; the Mai of Guangdong mostly honor Mai Tiezhang (麦铁杖), a general of the Sui dynasty, as their founding ancestor. According to entries in genealogy catalogs, there is a genealogy of the Mai of Taishan (Xinning, 新宁) that names Mai Yingjie (麦应杰) of the Ming as the first ancestor to settle in Xinning.^[1][2]

Origin of the surname[edit]

The Mai surname does not appear in the Hundred Family Surnames (《百家姓》), and there are few records of its origin. There are two main accounts. One says that in the Spring and Autumn period Duke Huan of Qi (齐桓公) granted Maiqiu (麦丘) to an old man of the place (the Old Man of Maiqiu, 麦丘老人), and his descendants took Mai as their surname. The other says it comes from Mai Tiezhang of the Sui, who was known for his courage and strength and for being fleet of foot; he rose to be a grand general and was made Duke of Su (宿国公), and the Mai of Guangdong mostly regard themselves as his descendants.^[1]

Coming to Taishan[edit]

According to the genealogy catalog of the Yunjiapu website (云家谱网), one Mai Genealogy (《麦氏族谱》) takes Mai Tiezhang as its founding ancestor, records the places where the family is dispersed as Taishan County, Guangdong, Hong Kong and elsewhere, and names Mai Yingjie as the first ancestor to settle in Xinning. Another, a manuscript Genealogy of the Mai of Shencun (《莘村麦氏族谱》) arranged by Mai Huiru (麦惠如) in 1955, records the first migrant ancestor as Yingjie Gong (应杰公) of the Ming, with his ancestral home at “Gubomai Village, Kaiping County, Zhaoqing Prefecture” (肇庆府开平县古搏麦村), and the places where the family is dispersed as Kaiping County, Hong Kong and elsewhere. The catalog says neither whether the two genealogies record the same line, nor when and where Mai Yingjie moved to Xinning.^[2]

How the Mai came to Taishan and where they live is yet to be added. Family members who know more are welcome to edit this article.