Scottish Family Names M
MAITLAND
NAME ON MAP: MAUTELAND OLD COUNTY: Berwick DATE: c.1240 MEANING: it is NORMAN‑FRENCH, but there are two possible meanings. If the name came from the place‑name Mautalant in Normandy it would have meant `unproductive (soil)'; if it was a nickname it would have meant `discourteous, rude'. Sir Richard de Mauteland married the heiress to the lands of Thurlestane in the time of Alexander II (1214‑49).
MALCOLM, MacCALLUM
NAME ON MAP: Mac MHAOL CHALUIM (in GAELIC ) OLD COUNTY: Argyll MEANING: `son of a follower of (St.) Columba'; GOIDELIC mhaol means 'bald, tonsured'. There may originally have been two separate clans, but insufficient early records exist to confirm this.
MATHESON
NAME ON MAP: MacMHATHAIN (in GAELIC ) OLD COUNTY: Ross & Cromarty, Sutherland MEANING: 'son of Matthew'; the name ultimately derives from HEBREW `gift of Jehovah'. Cormac MacMhathain possibly took part in the Battle of Largs in 1263.
MAXWELL
NAME ON MAP: MAXUEL OLD COUNTY: Dumfries DATE: 1424 MEANING: "Maccus' OLD ENGLISH wael `stream, spring": a territorial name. One tradition locates this as a salmon pool on the Tweed, Maccus being a Saxon who obtained land here before 1150. Another tradition identifies Maccus as a Viking associate of David I. Johannes de Makeswell was Chamberlain of Scotland in c.1230; a descendant, Sir Eustace, held Caerlaverock Castle for Edward II, but changed sides to fight for Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn.
MENZIES
NAME ON MAP: MENYERS OLD COUNTIES: Dumfries, Perth, DATE: 1249 MEANING: either from NORMAN‑FRENCH mesnières `servants, tenants' or from the place‑name Mesnières in Normandy. Sir Robert de Menyers was Chamberlain of Scotland in 1240 and held land in Tayside as well as the lands of Durisdeer in the borders. The letter ‑z‑ represents the obsolete letter yogh (shaped like a 3 and pronounced gh). The name is pronouced Mingis.
MOFFAT
NAME ON MAP: see under place‑names. HISTORY: Nicholas de Mufet witnessed a charter before 1232.
MONCREIFFE
NAME ON MAP: MONCREFFE OLD COUNTY: Perth DATE: 1296 MEANING: GOIDELIC monadh craoidhe `hill of the [sacred?] tree'; a territorial name from the barony. It has been suggested that the family may have descended Maldred, brother of the King Duncan I who was killed by MacBeth in 1040. William de Monnecrefe reluctantly swore fealty to Edward I in 1296.
MONTGOMERY
NAME ON MAP: MUNDEGUMRI OLD COUNTY: Renfrew DATE: c.1170 MEANING: from Sainte Foi de Montgomery in Normandy. The place‑name meant "hill of [a Norman called] Man powerful". Robert de Mundegumri, great‑great‑grandson of William the Conqueror's companion Roger, was granted land at Eaglesham in the 12th century.
MORRISON
NAME ON MAP: MacGHILLE MHOIRE (in GAELIC ) OLD COUNTY: Lewis MEANING: `son of the servant of (the Virgin) Mary'. Tradition has it that the clan's founder was an illegitimate son of the Viking, King Olav of Man and the Isles. The young man was shipwrecked on Lewis and married the heiress of Clan Gow. The family held hereditary office as Brehon judges, giving the clan an influence disproportionate to its size and location.
MUNRO
NAME ON MAP: MONRO OLD COUNTY: Ross and Cromarty DATE: 1314 MEANING: `man of (or from) Ro'. It has been suggested that Ro refers to a place on the river Roe in Ulster. The clan were vassals of the earls of Ross. Robert de Monro fought for Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn.
MURRAY
NAME ON MAP: DE MORAVIA OLD COUNTY: Perth DATE: 1317 MEANING: a territorial name from the province of Moray or Moravia which had originally been a Celtic kingdom embracing a large area around Inverness. The founder of the clan was probably Freskin, a Fleming, who was given land in Moray by David I (1124‑53) and married into the old Celtic Mormaer family. Others suggest the clan may descend from the Mormaers directly. William de Moravia witnessed a charter in 1203 and Sir Andrew de Moravia rendered homage in 1317. See the entry for Sutherland.