http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maitland Maitland is an English and Scottish surname. It arrived in Britain after the Norman conquest of 1066. There are two theories about its source. It is either a nickname reference to "bad temper/disposition" (Old French, Maltalent; Anglo Norman French, mautalent; Latin malum talentum), or it may be a locational reference to Mautalant, a place in Pontorson, France. The earliest public record of the surname dates to 1170 in Northumberland.[1]
References ^ "Surname: Maitland". surnamedb.com. Retrieved 2008-03-12.