Mayall

Mayall is a surname of English origin. It appears in various domains, most notably in the names of a prominent blues musician and an American astronomer, among others.

Notable people with the surname include John Mayall (born 1933), an English blues singer, guitarist, and founder of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. He is regarded as a key figure in the development of the British blues movement, influencing a generation of guitarists and contributing to the genre’s spread in the UK and beyond.

Another prominent bearer is Nicholas U. Mayall, an American astronomer who served as director of Lick Observatory. In his honor, the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona was named after him. The telescope is a wide-field optical system used for large-scale spectroscopic surveys and has hosted significant instruments and surveys, including the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) to map the universe and study dark energy.

In addition to these individuals, the Mayall name has been attached to institutions and facilities in science and culture through its notable bearers. The most widely recognized associations today are linked to the music of John Mayall and the astronomical facilities named for Nicholas U. Mayall.