Scottish Place Names M
MADDERTY OLD COUNTY: Perth NAME ON MAP: Madirdi DATE: 1219 MEANING: just possibly "GOIDELIC maedair `little pail, wooden dish' of [St] Ethernan". He was a 7th century native of Scotland who went to Ireland and returned to his homeland as a missionary.
MALLAIG OLD COUNTY: Inverness NAME ON MAP: Mallaig (probable spelling) MEANING: there are no early records, but a possible derivation from OLD NORSE már `gull' or möl `shingle' with vágr `bay' suggests that the name is old.
MANUEL OLD COUNTY: Stirling NAME ON MAP: Manewell DATE: 1301 EARLIEST RECORD: Manuell DATE: c.1190 MEANING: a priory, possibly named from Emanuel, but probably from BRYTHONIC maen gwel `rock [with a] view'.
MARKINCH OLD COUNTY: Fife NAME ON MAP: Markynchs DATE: c.1290 EARLIEST RECORD: Marchinke DATE: a.1055 MEANING: GOIDELIC marc `horse' innis `dry area in a marsh'.
MARYTON OLD COUNTY: Angus NAME ON MAP: Marington DATE: a.1220 MEANING: probably "Marinus' or Marcwin's tun `settlement, village'".
MAUCHLINE OLD COUNTY: Ayr NAME ON MAP: Mauchlyn DATE: c.1200 EARLIEST RECORD: Machline DATE: c.1130 MEANING: GOIDELIC magh `field' [of the] linne `pool'.
MAYBOLE OLD COUNTY: Ayr NAME ON MAP: Mayboill DATE: 1275 MEANING: probably GOIDELIC magh `plain, moor' baoghail `of danger'.
MEARNS OLD COUNTY: Renfrew NAME ON MAP: Mernis DATE: 1188 EARLIEST RECORD: Mearns DATE: c.1160 MEANING: "GOIDELIC magh `plain' of [the Water of] Earn"; see the entry for Loch Earn in Perthshire. But GOIDELIC an mhaoirne `the stewardship' has also been suggested.
MEIGLE OLD COUNTY: Perth NAME ON MAP: Miggil DATE: 1183 MEANING: GOIDELIC mign `marsh' dol `meadow'.
MELROSE OLD COUNTY: Roxburgh NAME ON MAP: Malros DATE: 1124 EARLIEST RECORD: Mailros DATE: c.700 MEANING: BRYTHONIC maol `bare, bald' ros `moor, promontory'.
MIDDLE ENGLISH STRIE OLD COUNTY: Clackmannan NAME ON MAP: Mestry DATE: 1315 EARLIEST RECORD: Mestryn DATE: 1261 MEANING: BRYTHONIC maes `plain' tref `farm, house'.
METHIL OLD COUNTY: Fife NAME ON MAP: Methkil DATE: 1250 MEANING: possibly GOIDELIC maoth `soft' or maid `boundary' coill `wood'.
METHLICK OLD COUNTY: Inverness NAME ON MAP: Methelak DATE: a.1300 MEANING: possibly GOIDELIC maoth `soft' tulach `hill' or maid `boundary' llech `stone'.
METHVEN OLD COUNTY: Perth NAME ON MAP: Mehtven DATE: 1304 EARLIEST RECORD: Matefan DATE: a.1150 MEANING: possibly GOIDELIC maid `boundary' vaen `stone', although medd `mead' (the drink), magh `plain' and meadhon `middle' with abhainn `river' have also been suggested.
MINTO OLD COUNTY: Roxburgh NAME ON MAP: Minthov DATE: c.1320 EARLIEST RECORD: Munethov DATE: 1166 MEANING: possibly BRYTHONIC mynydd `hill' or GOIDELIC monadh `mountain' with SCOTTISH ENGLISH heuch `haugh, land by a river'.
MOCHRUM OLD COUNTY: Wigtown NAME ON MAP: Mouchrome DATE: 1329 MEANING: GOIDELIC magh `plain' with crom `crooked'.
MOFFAT OLD COUNTY: Dumfries NAME ON MAP: Moffete DATE: 1296 EARLIEST RECORD: Moffet DATE: 1179 MEANING: GOIDELIC magh `plain' fada `long'.
MONDYNES OLD COUNTY: Kincardine NAME ON MAP: Monachedin DATE: 1251 MEANING: GOIDELIC monadh `moor' eadain `slope'.
MONEYDIE OLD COUNTY: Perth NAME ON MAP: Monedy DATE: 1285 MEANING: possibly GOIDELIC monadh `moor' eadain `slope'.
MONIFIETH OLD COUNTY: Angus NAME ON MAP: Monifeit DATE: 1242 EARLIEST RECORD: Munifieth DATE: 1178 MEANING: GOIDELIC moine `peat' féithe `bog'.
MONIMAIL OLD COUNTY: Fife NAME ON MAP: Monimel DATE: 1250 MEANING: GOIDELIC mòine `peat' meall `hill'.
MONKTON OLD COUNTY: Ayr NAME ON MAP: Monktoun DATE: 1275 EARLIEST RECORD: Munctune DATE: 1163 MEANING: OLD ENGLISH tun `village, settlement' belong to the monks of Paisley Abbey.
MONTROSE OLD COUNTY: Angus NAME ON MAP: Monros DATE: 1322 EARLIEST RECORD: Munros DATE: c.1178 MEANING: GOIDELIC moine `peat' ros `promontory'.
MONZIE OLD COUNTY: Perth NAME ON MAP: Muyhhe DATE: 1282 EARLIEST RECORD: Mugedha DATE: 1226‑34 MEANING: possibly mag iodh `plain of corn', later influenced by GOIDELIC moine `peat moor'.
MOONZIE OLD COUNTY: Fife NAME ON MAP: Mooney DATE: c.1230 MEANING: possibly mag iodh `plain of corn', later influenced by GOIDELIC moine `peat moor'.
MOREBATTLE OLD COUNTY: Roxburgh NAME ON MAP: Merebotle DATE: 1170 EARLIEST RECORD: Scerbedle (a misprint) DATE: a.800 MEANING: OLD ENGLISH mor `moor' or mere `lake' with botl `dwelling'.
MORVERN OLD COUNTY: Argyll NAME ON MAP: Morven DATE: 1390 EARLIEST RECORD: Garwmorwarne DATE: 1343 MEANING: BRYTHONIC mor `sea' GOIDELIC bhearn `gap' or GOIDELIC mór `big' bheinn `ben, mountain'.
MOTHERWELL OLD COUNTY: Lanark NAME ON MAP: Moydirwal DATE: 1265 EARLIEST RECORD: Matervelle DATE: a.1250 MEANING: "OLD ENGLISH modor `mother's' well `well, spring'", ie. dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
MOULIN OLD COUNTY: Perth NAME ON MAP: Moulyn DATE: 1323 EARLIEST RECORD: Molin DATE: 1207 MEANING: GOIDELIC maolinn `bare hillock'.
MOY OLD COUNTY: Inverness NAME ON MAP: Muy DATE: 1235 MEANING: GOIDELIC moigh (from magh) `on the plain'.
MUCHALLS OLD COUNTY: Aberdeen NAME ON MAP: Mukulis DATE: a.1321 EARLIEST RECORD: Mukual DATE: 1268 MEANING: probably GOIDELIC mucail `[place] of swine'.
MUCK OLD COUNTY: Inverness (Hebrides) NAME ON MAP: Helantmok DATE: c.1370 MEANING: GOIDELIC eilean muc `island of swine'.
MUCKHART OLD COUNTY: Fife NAME ON MAP: Mukard DATE: 1250 MEANING: GOIDELIC muc `pig' ard `height'.
MUGDOCK OLD COUNTY: Dunbarton NAME ON MAP: Mukdoc DATE: 1392 EARLIEST RECORD: Mageduac DATE: c.750 MEANING: probably magh `plain' a' dhaboich `of ploughed land'.
MULL OLD COUNTY: Argyll (Hebrides) NAME ON MAP: Myl (Norse Sagas) EARLIEST RECORD: Maleos DATE: 2nd century MEANING: although OLD NORSE múli `snout, headland' or GOIDELIC mul `shingle beach'is possible, the age of the earliest record makes BRYTHONIC maol `bare hill' more probable.
MUNLOCHY OLD COUNTY: Ross & Cromarty NAME ON MAP: Munlochy DATE: 1328 MEANING: possibly GOIDELIC magh `plain' n' lochaidh `of the black place'.
MUSSELBURGH OLD COUNTY: Midlothian NAME ON MAP: Muskilburk DATE: 1250 EARLIEST RECORD: Muxelburg DATE: c.1198 MEANING: OLD ENGLISH muscle `mussel' burh `town'.
MUTHILL OLD COUNTY: Perth NAME ON MAP: Muothle DATE: c.1200 EARLIEST RECORD: Mothel DATE: c.1198 MEANING: either GOIDELIC maothail `soft ground' or OLD ENGLISH (ge)mot `meeting' hyll `hill'.