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 M Surnames Family History Resources

Surnames, their origin and their meaning

Many surnames are associated with the place/locality of where the family lived and in those cases the location is noted as the meaning.
Many surnames are associated with the occupation of the person given the name.

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Surname		Origin	Meaning
Maban		Welsh	A child, a bairn
Macaula		Celtic	The son of the rock
Macauley		Celtic	son of the rock
Mace		Celtic	son of the rock
Macklin		Scottish	son of servant of St. John
Maclay		Gaelic	son of Clay
Maclean		Scottish	son of servant of St. John
Macleod		Scottish	son of ugly
Maconochie			son of Conochie or Duncan
Maddock		Welsh	mad, good, and oc or og, the same as the termination y or ous in English
Madison			son of Mathew or Matilda
Magoon		Gaelic	Magoon, son of the smith
Maguire		Gaelic	son of Guaire
Mahomet		Turkish	Glorified
Mahon		Celtic-Gaelic	bear
Maigny		French	An old province of France lying to the east of Bretagne
Main		Locality	Magne, great, large, rich, powerful
Mainard		German	stout-hearted
Maitland		Locality	meadow land
Major			An officer next in rank above a captain
Malet		Normandy	Malleus, Maule, Mall, and Mallet was one of the offensive weapons
Mallard		Belgic	A wild drake
Mallery		French	Mallieure
Mallet		Normandy	Malleus, Maule, Mall, and Mallet was one of the offensive weapons
Malmesbury			the town of Malmesbury in Wiltshire, England
Malone		Irish	Maol, bald or tonsured, and Eoin, John
Mandeville		Latin	De Magna villa
Mann		German	Gentleman or master
Mannering		Welsh	Mesnil or Maenol, a farm
Manners		French	Manoir to stay or to abide
Mannus			A god celebrated among the Germans as one of their founders
Manser		Dutch	Mansoir, a male issue, a boy
Mansfield		Saxon	manrian, to traffic, and field
Mansle		Locality	A town of France in the province of Angoumois
Manwaring		Welsh	Mesnil or Maenol, a farm
Mar		Gaelic	Maor, an officer of justice
Marchant		French	merchant
Mark			Marcus, a field
Marsh		Teutonic	Maresche, Morass, a fen, a tract of low, wet land
Marshall		Scottish	master of the horse
Marshman			One dwelling near a marsh
Martin		Latin	martius, warlike, from Mars, the God of War
Martinez		Spanish	son of Martin
Marven		Gaelic	Morven, a ridge of very high hills
Masenfer		German	Messenfer, a great fair or market for merchants
Massenger		French	messager
Massey		Locality	the town and lordship near Bayeux, in Normandy
Massie		Locality	the town and lordship of Massey, near Bayeux, in Normandy
Masten		Welsh	A place or house inclosed, from Maes, a field, and din, inclosed, fortified
Mather		Welsh	Madur, a benevolent man
Matthew		Hebrew	The gift of the Lord
Mattison			son of Matthew
Mauer		German	A wall
Maxwell		Scottish	Macsual, son, and sual, small, little
May			the fifth month in the year
Maynard		German	stout-hearted
Mayne		Locality	Magne, great, large, rich, powerful
Mayo		Irish	the plain near the water, from Moi or Moy
McAllister		Gaelic	son of Alister
McAndrew			son of Andrew
McArdle			son of the high-rock
McBain			son of Bain
McBride			son of Bride
McCabe			son of Cabe
McCallen			son or descendants of Callen or Colin
McCallister			son of Alister
McCamus			son of Camus
McCardle		Gaelic	son of the high-rock
McCarthy			son of Carrthach
McCharraigin			son of the rock
McCleod			Mac, son, and Clode, from Claudius
McClis			Mac, son, and Clis, active, quick, ingenious
McCoun		Gaelic	Mac, son, and Ceann, head or chief
McCrackin			son of the rock
McCree		Gaelic	Mac, son, and Righ, king
McCullough			son of Cullough
McDermot			son of Dermot
McDhoil		Gaelic	son of Dowell or Dougall
McDonald		Scottish	son of Donald
McDonell		Scottish	son of Donald
McDonnough		Gaelic	son of Donnach
McDougall			son of Dougall
McDowell		Gaelic	son of Dowell or Dougall
McDuff		Gaelic	son of the captain
McFadden		Celtic	son of Faddan
McFarland		Gaelic	son of Pharlan, or Partholan
McFerson			son of Pherson
McGinnis		Gaelic	son of Ginnis
McGooken		Celtic-Gaelic	Mac, a son, and Gugan
McGowan		Gaelic	son of a smith
McGrath		Celtic-Gaelic	son of Gradh, love, fondness, virtue, prosperity
McGraw		Celtic-Gaelic	son of Gradh, love, fondness, virtue, prosperity
McGregor		Scottish	descendants of Gregor
McGucken		Celtic-Gaelic	Mac, a son, and Gugan, a bud or flower
McGuire			son of Guaire or Godfrey
McHard		Gaelic-Welsh	son of the brave or the handsome
McHarg		Gaelic-Welsh	son of the brave or the handsome
McIldoey			Mac, son, gille, a youth, and dhu, black
McIldouney		Gaelic	Mac, son, gille, a youth, and doinne, brownishness
McIlhenny		Gaelic	son of the old man
McIlroy		Gaelic	Mac, gille, and ruadh, red-haired
McInnis			son of Innis
McIntosh		Scottish	son of the leader or first
McIntyre			son of Kintyre
McKay		Scottish	son of a champion
McKelly			son of Kelly
McKensie		Gaelic	son of the chief, head, or first
McKenzie		Scottish	son of Coinneach
McKibben		Celtic	Mac, son, and Ceobbinn, the top of the hill
McKie		Celtic-Gaelic	son of a champion
McKinnon			McFingon, the son of Fingon
McKirnan			son of Kiernan
McLaughlin			son of Laughlin
McLaurin			son of Labhruinn, or Lawrence
McLean			MacGillean
McLeod			son, and Clode, from Claudius
McMahon		Gaelic	son of a bear
McManus			son of Manus or Magnus, the great, or renowned
McMartin			son of Martin, or the warlike
McMaster			son of Master
McMullin			son of the miller
McMurrough			son of Murrough or Murrach
McMurtair		Gaelic	son of a murderer
McNab			son of Nab
McNamara		Celtic	Mac, son, and cu-marra or or con-marra, the hero of the sea
McNaughton		Gaelic	Mac, son, an, of, and achduinn, tools and instruments of all kinds
McNevin			son of Nevin
McNiel			son of Niel
McPherson			son of Pherson
McQuade			son of the Poet
McQuaire			Son of Guaire or Godfrey
McQuarie			Son of Guaire or Godfrey
McQueen			McOwen, the son of Owen
McWilliam			son of William
McWithy		Cornish-British	son of the weaver
Mead		Locality	meadow
Meadow		Locality	Land appropriated to the culture of grass
Mechant		French	bad, wicked
Medcaf		Welsh	midd, inclosed, and caf, a cell, a religious house
Medina		Spanish	name from any of the several places
Meek			Mild of temper, soft, gentle
Meers			Shallow water, or lake
Mehin		Welsh	Mochyn, a pig
Meikle			A lump or mass, much, big
Meikleham			The large village; the great house
Meiklejohn		Scottish	Large John
Mellis		Gaelic	milis, sweet
Melor		Gaelic-Welsh	Melwr, soldier
Melun		Locality	The town in France
Menai		Welsh	a strait which divides the island of Anglesea from the coast of Wales
Mendoza		Basque	mendi mountain + otz cold
Menno			Beardless
Menteth		Locality	a district in Scotland so called, through which the river Teth runs
Menzies			the parish of Monzie, in Perthshire, Scotland
Mercer			One who deals in silks and woolen goods
Meredith			Meredyth, or Ameredith
Merle		French	blackbird
Merril		French	blackbird
Merton		Locality	mere, a lake or marsh, and ton
Meshaw		French	Mechant, bad, wicked
Mesick		Dutch	Maesyck, a town on the river Maes, in the bishopric of Liege, Netherlands
Metcalf		Welsh	medd signifies a vale, a meadow, and caf, a cell, a chancel, a church
Metternich		Dutch	Metter, middle or in, and naght, night
Meyer		German	Mayor
Meyeul		Locality	a place in France
Michael		Hebrew	Who is like God?
Mickle		Scottish	Muckle, big
Middleditch		Locality	middle trench for draining wet land or guarding inclosures
Middleton		Locality	the middle town
Milbourne		Locality	Miln, a mill, and borne or bourne, a brook
Mildmay		Saxon	Mild, soft or tender, and dema, a judge
Milford		Locality	ford by the mill
Miller		Scottish	One who attends a grist-mill
Millman			A man belonging to a mill
Mills			Living near a mill
Milne			A mill
Milner			A miller
Milthorpe		Locality	mill, and thorpe, a village
Milton		Saxon	miln, a mill, and ton
Minster		Saxon	abbey
Minturn		Welsh	min, stones, and turn, a round, a circle
Mitchell		Saxon	Michael, Muchel, big
Mixe		Locality	An ancient territory of France
Mochrie		Celtic	mo, my, and chree, dear
Moe		English	Large, tall, great
Moel		Gaelic	Maol, signifies bald
Moelyn		Welsh	Bald-pate
Moers		Dutch	fen, marsh, or moor
Moffatt		Locality	the town of Moffat, in Dumfriesshire, Scotland
Molen		Dutch	A mill
Molloy		Cornish-British	The dusty or hoary mill
Molyneux		French	Moulin, a mill
Monger			merchant
Monk		Welsh	mon, sole, separate, alone
Monroe		Locality	Monadh Roe or Mont Roe, from the mount on the river Roe, in Ireland
Monson			son of Mon or Mun, Edmund
Montague		French	De Mont aigue, from the sharp or steep mountain
Monteith		Locality	a district in Scotland so called, through which the river Teth runs
Montford		Latin	De Monte Forte, from the strong or fortified hill or mountain
Montgomery		Latin	Mons Gomeris, Gomer's mount
Montmorice			mount of Morris
Moody		Welsh	Meudwy, an anchorite, a recluse, hermit, a monk
Moon		Welsh	mwyn, mines
Mooney		French	Meunier,a miller
Moore		Scottish-Gaelic	Mor, great, chief, tall, mighty, proud
Moos		German	fen, bog
Morales		Spanish	the plural of moral,mulberry tree
Moran			A multitude
Moray		Moravian-Gaelic	mor, great, and an or av, water
More		Gaelic	Mor, great, chief, tall, mighty, proud
Moreau		French	a Moor
Moreno		Latin	Maurus Moor
Moreton		Gaelic	mor, large, high, and dun, ton, a hill
Morgan			Mor, the sea, and gan, born
Morgen		German	morning
Moriarty		Gaelic	Mor, great, and artach, exalted
Morley		Welsh-British	mor, the sea, and ley, a valley
Morrel			Having yellow hair
Morris		Welsh	Mawr and rys, a hero, a warrior, a brave man
Morrison		Scottish	Son of Morris
Morse			Morris
Morton		Gaelic	Mor, big, great, and dun, ton, a hill
Moseley		Saxon	a mossy field or pasture
Mostyn		Welsh	Maes, a field, and din, inclosed, fortified
Mott		French	A round artificial hill
Moulton		Locality	A small town in Devonshire, England
Mountain			A name of place
Mountjoy			Mont-joie as a heap of stones made by a French army, as a monument of victory
Moxley		Saxon	muga, much, great, large, and ley, a field
Moxon			son of Moggie or Margaret
Mueller		German	miller
Muir		Scottish	moor or fen
Mulligan		Gaelic	Mullechean, the top or summit, a height
Mullins		French	miller
Mumford		Latin	De Monte Forte, from the strong or fortified hill or mountain
Mundy		Locality	the Abbey of Mondaye, in the dukedom of Normandy
Mungey			Mountjoy
Munn			Edmund
Munoz		Spanish	son of Muno
Munsel		Locality	Monsall, a dale of Derbyshire
Murphy			Irish name O'Murchadha, which means descendant of sea warrior in Gaelic
Murray		Moravian-Gaelic	mor, great, and an or av, water
Murrell		French	A sea wall or bank, to keep off the water
Musgrave		Saxon	Meus, the place where the hawks were kept. and grave, keeper
Myers		German	Mayor

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