Grad in naselje pod njim naj bi dobila ime po poganskem vitezu Mengu. Ime Mengeš oz. njegova nemška različica Mannsburg, ki je očitno nastala iz starega nemškega imena Meingo, Mengoz ali Megingoz, se v listinah omenja od 10. do 12. stoletja.
Na prvo posredno omembo gradu (kot Meingosburg) naletimo leta 1154, ko se omenja mengeški vitez, andeški ministerial Ditrik iz Mengša (Dietricus). Po letu 1230 je grad pripadal štajerskemu vojvodi Frideriku II. Od leta 1248 do leta 1251 ga je zasedal grof Majnhard Goriški kot cesarski upravitelj, za njim Spanheimi. Njim je grad leta 1250 odstopil eden od dedičev po Andeških, oglejski patriarh Bertold. Tega leta se grad prvič izrecno omenja kot castrum Mengosburch. Leta 1260 se omenja vazal Ortolf z Mengša. Naslednja omemba gradu nastopi leta 1316 (das haus datz Meyngospurch); takrat je Hartvik Steier (Štajerski) izročil svoj delež gradu (polovico je imel Friderik) ženi in otrokom. Še leta 1329 pa je Hertlein prejel od koroškega vojvode Henrika v fevd tretjino gradu, ki je prej pripadala sinovom Friderika Steyerja. Del druge polovice je Friderikova vdova Trauta s sinovoma leta 1335 prodala Hartleinu in Henriku iz Ortolfovega rodu (ainen tayl von unserm tayl), nekatere dele pa so jima sorodniki prodali že prej. Prodani so bili tudi grajski hrib, obzidje, predgradje in drugo. Friderikova veja je dokončno prodala svoj delež leta 1337, in sicer Hartwikovi veji. Za genealoško preglednico veje Mengeških glej Kos: Vitez in grad. Leta 1345 je Hartwik grad prepustil sorodniku Rajnherju Schenku iz Ostrovice, ta pa je grad že okoli leta 1356 prodal Egelolfu Müllingerju. Možno je, da je bilo v tem času lastništvo deljeno z Mengšani iz Ortolfovega rodu. Kot lastniki gradu kasneje nastopijo Johan iz Peggaua, Gallenberški in Hohenwarti. Slednji so grad v začetku 17. stoletja opustili in približno med leti 1625-1630 ob vznožju grajskega hriba pozidali nov sedež gospoščine.
Mengeški so v 14. stoletju uporabljali kar 3 različne grbe. Prvi je bil grb bratov Ortolfa in Wisenta (iz Krškega) s konca 13. in začetka 14. stoletja z razcepljenim ščitom in praznim desnim poljem, v levem pa s tremi škarnicami. Njuni sinovi so vsi po vrsti uporabljali grb s prepletenima trnkoma. Wisetovi sinovi so vsi stopili v službo grofov Goriških in prejeli v upravo Mehovo. Tretji grb, ki ga je uporabljala Hartwikova (eden izmed sinov Wiseta) veja je vseboval rastočega leva nad dvema valovnicama oz. poševno deljen ščit z zgornjo levjo polovico v prvem polju, v drugem pa valovnice.
Grad Mengeš za časa svojega obstoja nikoli ni bil upodobljen. Zgolj okvirno se o njegovi nekdanji zasnovi poučimo le iz topografske skice, ki jo je leta 1967 posnel arhitekt Peter Fister. Njeno objavo je spremljalo spremno besedilo, ki omenja dvoje s tremi obrambnimi jarki ločenih, z rušo poraslih platojev, vendar so ostanki zidovja opazni le na večjem, severnem, delno sekundarno izravnanem, med ko so na južnem delno še ohranjene razvaline cerkvice sv. Lovrenca. V poročilu so omenjeni tudi temelji polkrožne stavbe ob njej, za katere sodim, da predstavljajo ostanek neke mlajše, dodatne, nesporno renesančne fortifikacije.
V zvezi z nekdanjo podobo gradu je informativno zanimiva skica razvaline, ki jo je izdelal L. Benesch; narisan je ostanek večnadstropnega stolpa z apsido na verjetno vzhodni steni vrhnje etaže s fragmetiranim ostenjem dveh svetlobnih lin oz. okenc levo in desno od nje; gre za koncept poznoromanske grajske kapele, kakršnega poznamo z gradu Podsreda
The castle and the village below it should named after the pagan knight Meng . Name and Menges . Mannsburg its German version , which apparently originated from the Old German name Meingo , Mengoz or Megingoz , the documents mentioned by 10 12 century.
At first indirect mention of the castle ( as Meingosburg ) encountered in 1154 , when mention is made of Mengeš Knight , Andechs ministerial Ditrik from Menges ( Dietricus ) . After 1230 the castle belonged to the duke of Styria Frederick II . From 1248 to 1251 it was occupied by Count Meinhard Gorizia and imperial administrator , for him Spanheims . It is the castle in 1250 resigned one of the heirs of the Andechs Patriarch Berthold . This year the castle is the first time mentioned as castrum Mengosburch . In 1260 it is mentioned vassal Ortolf with Menges . The next mention of the castle appearances in 1316 ( das haus Datz Meyngospurch ), then Hartwik Steier ( Styria ) delivered its share of the castle ( half had Frederick ) wife and children . Even in 1329 , it is Hertlein received from the Carinthian Duke Henry the feud third of the castle , which formerly belonged to the sons of Frederick Styer . Part of the second half , Frederick Traut widow with two sons in 1335 and sold Hartleinu Henry of descent Ortolfovega ( ainen Tayla Tayla von unserm ) , some parts of them are sold before relatives . Sold were also castle hill , walls , palace yard , and more. Friedrich's arm was finally sold its stake in 1337 , namely Hartwikovi arms . For the genealogical table of the branches Mengeška see Kos : Knight and Castle . In 1345 he left the castle Hartwik relative Rajnherju Schenku from Oštrovica this is already built circa 1356 sold Egelolfu Müllingerju . It is possible that in the meantime, the shared ownership of Mengšani Ortolfovega genus . As owners of the castle later arise from Johan Peggau , Gallenberški and Hohenwarte . The latter is a castle in the early 17th century and abandoned approximately between the years 1625-1630 at the foot of the castle hill built a new headquarters dominion .
Mengeš in the 14th century, which used three different coats of arms . The first was the emblem of the brothers Ortolf and Wisent ( from Krk ) by the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th century with split a shield and empty right field in the left with three chevrons . Their sons are all in a row using a coat of arms with twisted hook . Wisetovi sons all entered the service of the Counts of Gorizia , and received the administration Mehovo . Third coat of arms used by the Hartwikova ( one of the sons Wiseta ) branch containing the growing lion over two sinuous or . obliquely divided shield with a lion's upper half in the first field and the second undulating .
Castle Menges for the time of its existence has never been depicted . Indicative only about his former conception educating them only from topographical sketches, which was filmed in 1967 by architect Peter Fister . Its publication was accompanied by the accompanying text mentions two to three trenches separated by turf -covered plateaus , but the remains of walls visible only on larger , northern , partly secondary offset, between when the southern part still preserved ruins of the church of Sv . Lawrence . The report also said based semi-circular building next to it , which I judge to represent the residue of a younger , more , indisputably Renaissance fortifications .