Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Mountiowe 1297 Pat 1377 Ipm

• Montjowe 1383 Cl

• Mongowe 1332 Kendi,143

• Monjow 1745 CWxlv,183

• Mungey 1629 PR(K) 1648,1650 PR(Cr)

• Mountjoy 1823 M

Etymology

This is a French p.n. and probably corresponds to the common Montjoie 'hill of joy', which was often used of 'an artificial eminence, esp. one surmounted by a cross', 'a tumulus' (cf. Gröhler 79, Vincent §452). The normal OFr  form is joie (from earlier gau (d )ia ), but the older forms of this p.n. may have been influenced by OFr  jou (g ) 'summit' or some such word. v. Addenda.