Surname Mummaugh - Meaning and Origin

Mummaugh: What does the surname Mummaugh mean?

The last name Mummaugh is of Germanic origin, thought to have descended from the Middle High German phrase "mummen ahe". The literal meaning of this phrase is "to speak feignedly", leading many to believe that the name Mummaugh is related to the idea of "mumbo jumbo" - the use of words that sound like real words but have no meaning.

In Germany, the name Mummaugh is commonly the name given to a person who is a born fraud or is a habitual liar. It was also originally a nickname for people who had a habit of talking without saying anything of value. Over time, it has been used to describe someone who is unreliable, dishonest, or a bit of a trickster.

In the United States, the name Mummaugh is most widely known in the Midwest and Pennsylvania. It has been passed down either through families who emigrated from Germany or families who adopted the name Mummaugh as part of their own unique family story.

The name Mummaugh holds significant meaning, alluding to a long history of dishonesty as well as a reminder of its unique origin. The families who adopted the Mummaugh name often take great pride in its origin and legacy. This name not only provides a unique and often humorous origin story, it also serves as a reminder to all to remain vigilant and not trust everything you hear.

Mummaugh: Where does the name Mummaugh come from?

The last name Mummaugh is not particularly common today, but it is still well-represented in the United States. It is most commonly found in the state of Pennsylvania, where it appears among the top 1000 surnames. In 2020, Mummaugh ranked number 989, making it the 920th most common surname in the state.

Outside of Pennsylvania, Mummaugh also appears in other states like West Virginia, New Jersey, Maine, and Indiana. Although the number of Mummaugh families varies from state to state, it is estimated that there are more than 5,000 Mummaugh people currently living in the US.

The Mummaugh surname also makes an appearance in other English-speaking countries, such as Canada, the UK, and Australia. It is less common in these countries, however, usually appearing in the tens of thousands in terms of the number of bearers. For example, Mummaugh was the 19,897th most common surname in the UK in 2020 and the 8,261st most common in Canada the same year.

Despite its relative scarcity, the Mummaugh name is firmly rooted in the United States and other countries, where it has been established for hundreds of years. Whether through migration and immigration, or just plain luck, many people today can still trace the Mummaugh surname back to its Germanic roots.

Variations of the surname Mummaugh

Mummaugh is an English surname derived from the placename Mumford, which was found in several counties of England, such as Kent, Hampshire, and Somerset. The original form of the name was Muchamore, which was derived from the Old English words muche and mor, meaning ‘great clump of trees’.

Alternative spellings and variants of the Mummaugh surname include Mumaugh, Mummah, Muma, Mum, Mumford, and Moomaw.

Some of the other names of probable origin from Mummaugh include Momford, Memmour, Mamer, Moome, Mummoe, Mumau, Moomaus, Momma, Moomaw, Mooman, Mumman, Mumby, Mumforde, Mummaw, Mummode, and Mumby.

These different variants and spellings may have arisen from errors in spelling by early clerks, who had little education and difficulty reading English. Variations in surname spelling can also be attributed to the immigration of many families throughout history, when different dialects were spoken in different parts of the world.

In some cases, Mummaugh is used as a nickname for people with the surname Mumby or Mumford. A surname combining two words, such as Mummaugh (Mum and maugh), was sometimes adopted in order to distinguish one branch from another within the same extended family.

Finally, many modern iterations of the Mummaugh surname are often found in countries that the name's original bearers traveled to, such as the United States and Canada. Examples of these variations include Mumaugh, Mummah, Momes, and Moomans.

Famous people with the name Mummaugh

• Robert Mummaugh: Award-winning Hollywood and television director, based in Los Angeles
• Teri Mummaugh: Producer and actress, known as the partner of director and producer Chris Carter
• Rob Mummaugh: Actor, known for his roles in the films Imagine That! and The Avengers
• Christian Mummaugh: Award-winning children’s author and illustrator
• Carl Mummaugh: Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the San Francisco Giants in the 1940s
• Glenn Mummaugh: Former major league catcher, played with the two-time World Series-winning Chicago White Sox
• Michael Mummaugh: Football coach and assistant athletic director at Penn State University
• John J. Mummaugh: Biophysicist and professor of Physics at the University of Iowa
• Kyle Mummaugh: Author, best known for his books on modern poetry
• Van G. Mummaugh: Civil War veteran and founder of the Mummaugh Funeral Home in Pennsylvania

Other surnames

Mummau