As regards Milltown Malbay / Sráid na Cathrach, the reason the Irish and English names for the town are unrelated to each other is that they originally referred to two separate features. There is a townland on the edge of the town called Poulawillin in English. References to this townland are found in State documents from the 16th century onwards, e.g. ‘Pole villine’ (anno 1585). Although the anglicised forms of the placename imply Poll an Mhuilinn, 'the hole/pool of the mill', the name seems to have been understood to mean 'Milltown'. For example, in the Parish Namebook of the Ordnance Survey (1839) there is a reference to ‘Baile an Mhuillinn anciently Poll a’ Mhuillinn, Milltown Malbay’. Malbay is the name of the bay to the west of Milltown. Although not originally an Irish name, it is found in Irish literature by the 18th century. An Chathair originally referred a stone fort.
The names the Irish speakers of Co. Clare had for the village were An Chathair, Sráid na Cathrach (lit. 'the street of the stone fort'), Milltown, and Sráid Mhilltown.