The alternative form 'Moel Famau' is a result of an 'antiquarian perception' first attested in the eighteenth century that the second element was the lenited form of the common noun mamau ('mothers'). If that were the case, however, the early forms in -a would be very difficult to explain. Nevertheless, the form 'Moel Famau' is common today and it is still sometimes said to mean 'Mothers' Hill'.