The Mewborn name is known only from the descendants of Thomas Mewboorn, c1690-1749, of North Carolina. The Mewborns are recognised as members of the Order of First Families of North Carolina having been there since before it became a royal colony in 1729. This study traces lines from the five sons of Thomas Mewboorn. The study currently spans a period of seven generations. In most cases that leads up to the 20th century and should provide adequate information for living Mewborn descendants to determine where they fit on the descent from progenitor Thomas.

Mewboorn is the earliest name used and appears in the will of Thomas and also the wills of his sons. Mewborn, a simpler spelling, is the commonest among descendants. Newbern and Newborn are also common among some lines of descent. A range of other minor spelling variations is found.

The name appears first in North Carolina, or more properly the colony of Carolina, in the early 18th century. The will of Thomas Mewboorn in 1749 is the most informative document and provides clues as to the initial descent from Thomas. Thomas, however, has been found in several earlier land transactions, the earliest being in 1716 (placing his birth in the 17th century). The will located Thomas at Bertie Precinct in Albemarle County (Bertie soon became a county in its own right). Origin myths suggest that Thomas either came from Northumberland in England or was a member of the Degraffenreid family of Switzerland. The is no evidence to support either claim. There are no English records to support the former and the history of the Degraffenreid family shows no possible candidate. A preferred hypothesis, though with no documentary support, is that Mewboorn came from the Low Countries or an area such as Schleswig-Holstein and joined the Palatine migration to England in 1709. He then became part of one of the shipments to the colonies in 1710 when some 300 are said to have been sent to the Carolinas.

Various wills, probate records and deeds in North Carolina in the 18th century, starting from 1716. The earliest occurrences are all for Thomas Mewboorn; there is no trace of any other contemporaneous Mewborn so he is taken to be the sole progenitor.

In the first seven generations the incidence of names is: Mewborn. 534 Newbern. 358 Newborn. 55 Mewbourn. 48 Mewborne. 20 Mewboorn. 15

People appear in some 30 states. The most frequent appearances are in: North Carolina Georgia Tennessee Alabama Arkansas Texas Indiana Kentucky