Recorded in various spellings including Malin, Mallin, Malling, Maulin, Mauling, and Mayling, this is a surname of several possible origins. It is usually English. The first possible origin is from the medieval female given name "Malle. This is itself a short or nickname form of the very popular Mary, the claimed mother of Christ, from the Aramaic "Maryam", meaning "wished for a child". St. Jerome understood it as a compound of "mar", meaning a drop, and "ham", the sea, which he rendered as "stella maris", or star of the sea. Introduced into Europe or at least popularised by returning Knight Templars from the Holy Land in the 12th century and much associated with the Christian Revival of the same period, the first Mary in the British Isles is believed to have been the second daughter of King Malcolm 11 of Scotland. She was born in 1082. Another possibility is that the name is locational from the village of Malling in the county of Kent. This place name is believed to derive from the original spelling 'Meallingas', or the place of the Mealla tribe. Early examples of recordings taken from surviving church registers of the city of London include those of Elizabeth Maylling. She married Harrie Smithe at St Mary at Hill, on June 20th 1566, John Malin, who was christened at St. Peter's Cornhill, on August 5th 1596, Alce Mauling, who was christened at St Mary Magdalene, on June 26th 1630, and George Malling who was christened at St Mary Harlesworth, on March 8th 1818.

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