Mayor (surname)

Mayor is an English and Spanish-language surname with several etymological origins. The English-language name is sometimes a variant spelling of Mayer, and thus derived from the Middle English and Old French mair, maire (in turn derived from the Latin maior, meaning "greater", "superior"); this surname originated from the title of a mayor. The surname Mayor can also be derived from a nickname, derived from the Spanish mayor, meaning "older", borne by the elder of two individuals with the same name. Another origin of the surname is from an occupational name, derived from the Spanish major, meaning "governor", "chief". The surname can also be a Catalan variant of the surname Major, derived from major, meaning "greater", used to denote an elder son of a particular family or an important person. The surname Mayor can also be derived from the Yiddish personal name Meyer, which is derived from the Hebrew language Meir, which in turn means "enlightener".

List of persons with the surname

Mayor

In many countries, a mayor (/ˈmɛər/ or /ˈmeɪər/, from the Latin maior [majˈjɔr], meaning "bigger") is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or town.

Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor, as well as the means by which a mayor is elected or otherwise mandated. Depending on the system chosen, a mayor may be the chief executive officer of the municipal government, may simply chair a multi-member governing body with little or no independent power, or may play a solely ceremonial role. Options for selection of a mayor include direct election by the public, or selection by an elected governing council or board.

History

British Isles

Mayor (musical)

Mayor is a musical with a book by Warren Leight and music and lyrics by Charles Strouse. It is based on the memoir by former New York City Mayor Ed Koch and depicts a single day in the life of the city's mayor. The musical ran on Broadway in 1985 after an Off-Broadway run.

Overview

Real-life personalities who are portrayed in the musical include Cardinal John O'Connor, Bess Myerson, Leona and Harry Helmsley, Carol Bellamy, Harrison J. Goldin, John V. Lindsay, Abraham Beame and Sue Simmons.

The play, called an "exuberant, witty cabaret revue" has a "distinctly New York brand of humor and the local political joke", according to an article in The Washington Post. The article went on to note several in-jokes, such as "the hysterical monologue on the city's absurd ritual of alternate-side parking, whereby owners double-park their cars several hours a day because of street-sweeping rules?"

Keith Curran, who was in the original cast, (as Harry Helmsley) directed a production of the musical at the Ruth Foreman Theatre West (Sunrise, Florida) in January 1988, saying: "It tells 'a sort of morality tale for Koch, like A Christmas Carol... Koch is visited by the spirit of Fiorello LaGuardia and threatened with losing the city. There is a lot of redemption in this show, but it takes a very harsh look at New York and how hard it is to live there." Strouse said that he wanted to write a musical that "filtered New York sounds through it." The musical has music "alternating contemporary pop with ragtime, jazz and other styles, each carefully chosen to evoke a mood or characterize a class of people illustrative of New York."

Mayor (France)

In France, a mayor (maire in French) is chairperson of the municipal council, which organizes the work and deliberates on municipal matters. The mayor also has significant powers and his or her own responsibilities, such as the responsibility for the activities of municipal police and for the management of municipal staff.

The mayor is also the representative of the state in the commune. As such the mayor is a civil officer of the State and a police officer. The term of office for a mayor is six years.

Elections

History

From 1789 to 1799 municipal officials (mayors) were directly elected for 2 years and re-elected by the active citizens of the commune with taxpayers contributing at least 3 days of work to the commune. Those who were eligible could instead pay a tax equivalent to not less than 10 days of work.

In 1799 the constitution of 22 Frimaire year VIII (13 December 1799) revoked the direct election of the mayor, with mayors of communes of less than 5,000 inhabitants being appointed by the prefect. This constitution established the nomination of mayors and councilors. After 1831 mayors were appointed (by the king for communes with more than 3,000 inhabitants, by the prefect for smaller), but councilors were elected for six years.