From the barony of Malaville or Malleville in the Pays de Caux, Normandy. Galfridus de Malveill first appears as witness in a charter by Malcolm IV (LSC., p. 209), and also appears as witness in charters in the following reign of William the Lion. He is among the witnesses to the grant of the church of Tarland to the church of St. Andrews, c. 1165-71 (Illus., II, p. 14, 15), and is also a witness to the earliest easting royal charter to the burgh of Aberdeen (Aberdeen Charters, ed. by P. J. Anderson, p. 3—4). Richard Maluvell was taken prisoner at Alnwick along with King William in 1174 (Bain, II, p. 117), and appears as a charter witness in 1178 (RAA., I, 2). Persons of the name possessed Kinblethmont as early as 1189 (ibid., I, p. 99). Hugh de Malleville witnessed a charter by Alan filius Walteri, c. 1202 (RMP., p. 14), and Henricus de Malevill witnessed the sale of the land of Drumsleed to Gregory, bishop of Brechin, between 1218-22 (REB., II, 272). Philip de Maleuille, the justiciary of Scotland, witnessed the charter by Alexander II preserving the rights of the burgesses of Glasgow to trade through Argyll and Lennox, 1242 (REG., p. 149), and Gregory de Malville in 1264 granted the monks of Newbattle free passage through his lands of Retrevyn to their Clydesdale possessions (Neubotle, p. 161). Eight or nine Melvilles or Malevilles rendered homage to England in 1296 (Bain, II). The lands of Melville in Midlothian were one of the earliest possessions of the family and received their name from their first possessor and so likewise did the lands of Melville in Fife. James Melville, the Reformer, in his Diary (Bannatyne Club ed.) spells his own name Melville and Melvin even on the same page (e.g. p. 87,238), and among older people in the country districts the name is still commonly pronounced Melvin, and it is frequently written Melvin, Mellin, and Melling. Rear Admiral George W. Melville (1841-1912), U. S. N., Arnctic explorer, was grandson of a Scot from Stirling. Mailueil 1468, Mailuil 1526, Mailuile 1559, Mailuill 1519, Mailuille 1539, Mailvene 1500, Mailveyne 1491, Mailvil 1525, Mailvile 1527, Mailvin 1504, Mailvyll 1548, Mailvyne 1502, Mailwill 1583, Mailwyn 1456, Mailwyne 1530, Maleuile 1516, Maleuyll 1264, Maluill 1502, Malevil 1468, Malevyle 1400, Malevyn 1470, Malevyne 1467, Malewile 1436, Mailwill 1574, Maluel 1457, Maluile 1510, Maluiyll 1509, Malveyn 1457, Malvil 1484, Malvile 1540, Malvyle and Malvyn 1425, Malvyne 1474, Malwill 1456, Malwyle 1428, Malwyn and Malwyne 1447, Meiluill 1520, Mellwell 1610, Melving 1633, Melwene 1543, Melwill 1595, Melwin 1550, Melwyn 1583, Melwyne 1524; Maling, Mailing, Meluile, Meluill, Melvyne, Melwing.

Local: from the lands of Melvil in Mid Lothian. The family are descended from Galfridus de Melville, 1165.