English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Marles Fm

Early-attested site in the Parish of Epping Upland

Historical Forms

  • Madel(e)s 1343 Cl 1345 Ipm 1464,1508 Pat
  • Maydelles 1534 NCW
  • Mearles 1768 M

Etymology

Marles Fm is Madel (e )s 1343 Cl, 1345 Ipm, 1464, 1508 Pat, Maydelles 1534 NCW, Mearles 1768 M. William le Masle witnessed a North Weald deed in 1280 (Winstone), and William le Madle , presumably the same man, died holding land here in 1303 (Ipm). Cf. the modern surnames Male and Madle from OFr  masle , 'male, masculine,' with intrusive d and ultimate loss of s (Weekley, Surnames 250). Cf. Introd. xxxvii.