Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Merleberge 1086 DB t.Hy2 Ch 1314 Abbr 1197 FF 1202

• Merleberg(a) 1130,1158 P 1218 Pat

• Marleberg(e) 1091 StOsmund 1158 RBE 1227 Fees

• Marleburgh 1246 FF

• Marleberg' 1249 Ass 1302 Abbr

• Marlebergh 1336 Ch

• Maellesberiense castellum 1140 JohnofWorcester

• Mærle beorg 1110 ASC c.1150

• Marborowe 1485 Pat

• Marbrughe 1553 WMxii

• Morrell Burrowe 1591 WMvi

• Marleberghe al. Marlebroughe 1596 FF

• Marelborowe 1653 Moulton

• Marebrough 1749 FF

Etymology

The interpretation of this name is uncertain but the most likely would seem still to be that suggested under Malborough (PN D 307), viz. that it stands for earlier Mærlanbeorg , 'hill,' or, in this case, 'barrow of one Mǣrla ,' a lost OE name cognate with the recorded OGer  Merila (Förstemann, PN 1102). Marlborough is not on a hill but in a valley, and there can be little doubt that the beorg has reference to the artificial mound of very ancient date which formed the nucleus of the Castle. Mǣrla may have been its sometime owner or the name of someone who had been buried there.

Ekwall (DEPN s. n. Malborough), on the score of the coincidence involved in assuming a lost personal name being found twice with beorg , puts forward tentatively an alternative suggestion, viz. that in both names we have OE  meargealla , mergelle , 'gentian,' but it should be noted that in the one certain case of that element hitherto found in a place-name, it is still merghel in the 14th century (cf. Marldon PN D 516). As to the coincidence there is little in it if beorg means barrow in one case and hill in the other, and the coincidence of this rare plant-name being found twice with beorg would be almost as great as the coincidence involved in assuming a lost personal name.