Nook of Names

Mather

On to “M” in my look at surnames of English, Norse and Anglo-French origin which have yet to see much use as first names…

There are a lot of rich pickings in M, so it comes in more than one part…

• Maberley, Mabberley — from one of the places called Mapperley. Old English mapuldor “maple-tree” + lēah “wood,” “woodland clearing,” “glade,” “pasture” and “meadow.”
• Mabley — medieval form of Mabel.
• Mace — dipped toe in the ranks in 1881 and 1902. As a surname, it is a medieval pet form of Thomas and/or Matthew. English “mace” is also a weapon and a spice.
• Macer — “mace-bearer”; a type of soldier who carried a mace.
• Machen — a form of Mason.
• Madder — From Old English mædere “madder”; used of someone who used or delt in dye made from the madder plant.
• Madeley — from one of the places called Madeley or Madley. Old English male personal name *Mada + lēah “wood,” “woodland clearing,” “glade,” “pasture” and “meadow.”
• Maffre — from the Old German name Mathefrid “power-peace.”
• Maldon, Malden — from one of the places of the name. Old English mǣl “cross” + dūn “hill.”
• Malin — a medieval pet form of Mary.
• Malkin — another medieval pet-form of Mary.
• Malosel — Old French mal oisel “bad bird”; a medieval nick-name.
• Maltby — from one of the places of the name. Probably Old Norse malt “malt” + bý “farmstead,” “village” and “settlement.”
• Malter — in part a variant of “malster” (maalting is an important process in making beer and whiskey, and beer was the staple drink in medieval times).  Another source is from a French place name Maleterre “poor earth.”
• Malton — from Malton in Yorkshire. Old English mæthel “assembly” + tūn “enclosure,” “farmstead,” “estate,” “manor,” “village.”
• Malyan — and another medieval pet-form of Mary.
• Mansel — Old French Mancel “inhabitant of Maine”, or mansel “tennant of a manse” (a manse in medieval France was a property large enough to support a family).
• Manwin — from the Old English personal name *Mannwine “man-friend.”
• Marber, Marbrow — Old French marbrier “quarrier/carver of marble.”
• Mardon, Marden — from one of the places of the name, such as with various Old English origins, such as mere “mare” + denn  “woodland pasture” (Marden, Kent), mærc “boundary” + denu “valley”  (Marden, Wiltshire), and mærc + dūn “hill” (Marden, Sussex).
• Markby — from Markby, Lincolnshire. Old Norse personal name Marki or mork “frontier area,” “wilderness” + bý “farmstead,” “village” and “settlement.”
• Markham — from Markham, Nottinghamshire. Old English mærc “boundary stone” + hām “homestead,” “village,” “estate,” “manor.”
• Markley — From Markley, Sussex. Old English mærc “boundary stone” + lēah “wood,” “woodland clearing,” “glade,” “pasture” and “meadow.”
• Marler — Old French marle “marl,” used of a quarrier of marl.
• Marner — Old French marinier “mariner,” “sailor.”
• Marris, Maris — Old French marais “marsh.” Maris is also familiar to many from the Latin Stella Maris “star of the sea,” now used as an epithet of Mary, but originally used of the Goddess Isis.
• Marsden — from Marsden, Yorkshire. Old English mærc “boundary stone” + denu “valley.”
• Marson — from MARSTON.
• Marston — from one of the places of the name. Old English mersc “marsh” + tūn “enclosure,” “farmstead,” “estate,” “manor,” “village.”
• Martley — from Martley, Worcestershire. Old English mearth “marten” + lēah “wood,” “woodland clearing,” “glade,” “pasture” and “meadow.”
• Maser — Old French maser “maple-wood bowl”; used of someone who made them.
• Massen — another variant of Mason.
• Massey, Massie — partly arose as a pet form of Matthew or Thomas, and partly from places called Macey, Massy and Macé in France.
• Matchell — probably from the Old German name Machelm or Maghelm “might/strength-helmet.”
• Mather — Old English mǣðere “mower.”
• Maudsley — from Mawdesley, Lancashire. Personal name Maud + lēah “wood,” “woodland clearing,” “glade,” “pasture” and “meadow.”
• Maxey, Maxcey, Maxcy — from Maxey, Cambridgeshire. Personal name Maccus ( either from the Common Celtic *makko- “pledge” or perhaps an Old Norse form of Magnus) + Old English ēg “island.”
• Mayhew — from a medieval form of Matthew.
• Maylan, Maylon — from Mayland, Essex. Old English mægthe “mayweed” + land “land.”
• Maylor — from Old French esmailleur “enameler.”
• Mayner — from the Old German personal name Maginhari “army-might.”
• Maysey — from Maizy or Maisy in France. From a Latin or Celtic personal name Masius or Macius, the latter perhaps from the Common Celtic *makko- “pledge.”

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