Recorded as Mauchlen and Mauchline, this is a Scottish surname. It is locational from a place called Mauchline in the county of Ayrshire. Most Celtic and Gaelic surnames are patronymics but there are a few areas in the country where for some unexplained reason, locational names have a vogue. In England a locational surname was one usually given to people after they left their original homes to move somewhere else. However in parts of Scotland and in Cornwall, the opposite applies, and the name is given to people because they are resident at a particular place. This has resulted in whole village populations having the same surname, and in consequence local nicknames on the lines of 'Jones, the butcher' had to be introduced. Whether this applied to this surname is not known. Possibly not because from its earliest days it was to be found scattered around the country. Early recordings include William Maghlyn, given as being an esquire of Scotland in 1407, who had "letters of safe conduct" into England, whilst Sir Patrick Mawchtlyne or Machlyne was resident in Edinburgh between the years 1500 and 1530.

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