-----Original Message----- From: Waterlilys@aol.com <Waterlilys@aol.com> To: schmidtm@3-cities.com <schmidtm@3-cities.com> Date: Sunday, May 31, 1998 11:34 AM Subject: Irish Names Hope this helps, I am no pro but this is some stuff I have come across mary Irish Names This is a list of many of the most common Irish surnames found in the United States and also their root derivations. Like most Western names, many of these are based upon an ancestor's occupation or appearance or place of residence. The prefixes of "O'", "Mc", and "Mac" are common in Irish surnames. These are all references to ancestry. Mac is the Gaelic word for son. It is now often abbreviated to "Mc", but originally it was the longer word and normally followed by a space and then the surname. There is a tradition that Mac is Irish and Mc is Scottish, but this is false. Both variations are in wide use in both countries. O is really a word all by itself, it means "grandson". Only in recent years has it been attached to the surname with an apostrophe. In ancient Ireland, there were no fixed surnames. A man was known as the the "son of" his father's first name. Occaisionally a man would be known by his grandfather's name (by the word O) if his grandfather was especially noteworthy. Around the twelfth century, most all of Europe and England adopted standardized surnames. Irish families did the same. The other distinctively Irish prefix is Fitz, as in Fitzgerald or FitzAlan. This is a Norman French prefix, brought to Ireland by the Normans who previously had lived in England. It is derived from the French word fils, meaning "son of". Therefore, Fitz and Mac mean about the same and were interchangeable at one time. It is now common for the O and Mac prefixes to be eliminated entirely. The original Celtic words are listed in parentheses. Barry - from the Norman French surname de Barri Brennan - O Braonain, descendant of Braonain (a word for "sorrow") Burke - from the Norman French surname de Burgh or de Bourg Byrne - O Broin, descendant of Broin (bran means "raven") Casey - O Cathasaigh, descendant of Cathasaigh (cathasach means "watchful") Daly - O Dalaigh, descendant of Dalaigh (dalach means "assemblyman") Donohue - O Donnchadha, descendant of Donnchadha (donn means "brown haired") Dunne - O Duinne, a descendant of Duinn (donn means "brown" or "brown haired" Fitzgerald - son of Gerald (a Norman French name) Fitzpatrick - This name was originally Mac Giolla Padraig, meaning a descendant of a devotee of St. Patrick. In later years the Mac prefix was changed to the Norman "Fitz". Flynn - O Floinn, descendant of Floinn (flann, meaning "ruddy") Kelly - O Ceallaigh, descendant of Ceallaigh (ceallach is the word for "strife" Kennedy - O Cinneide, descendant of Cinneide (ceann means "head", eidigh means "ugly") Lynch - from the Norman French surname de Lench McCarthy - Mac Carthaigh, descendant of Carthaigh (carthach means "loving") Murphy - O Murchadha, descendant of a murchadh (sea warrior) O'Brien - O Briain, descendant of Briain (Brian Boru) O'Connor - O Conchobhair, descendant of Conchobhair O'Donnell - O Domhnaill, descendant of Domhnaill O'Neill - O Neill, descendant of Neill ("Neill of the Nine Hostages") Quinn - O Cuinn, descendant of Conn Regan - O Riagain, descendant of Riagain Reilly - O Ragailligh, descendant of Ragaillach Ryan - O Malvilriain, descendant of Mavilriain (a name not identifiable) Sullivan - O Suileabhain, descendant of Suileabhain (suil means "eye" and Levan is a Celtic deity. Therefore, this is the "eye of the god") Walsh - a person of Welsh origin ANCIENT IRISH PROPER NAMES AODH = (ee) "fire"; A frequent name among Kings and Chiefs. ANG. Hugh. ART = "noble, great". The root of O'Hart. BRANDUBH = " black hair". BRIAN = bri, "strength"; an, "very great". The root of O'Brian, Brien, Bryant, Byrne, Byron, etc. CAIRBRE = corb, "a chariot"; ri, "a king"; "ruler of the chariot". CATHAIR = (cahir) cath, "a battle"; ar, "slaughter". CATHAL = (cahal) cath, as above; all, "great". "a great warrior". CATHBHAR = (cah-war) "a helmet", or, cath, as above; barr, "a chief". CONCHOBHAR = "helping warrior". CONN = "wisdom". CORMAC = "the son of the chariot". DIARMAID = "god of arms". DOMHNALL = (donal) domhan, "the world"; all, "mighty". Root of MacDonald, MacDaniel, MacDonnell. DONOCH = donn, "brown; cu, "a warrior". ANG. Dennis in Ire. and Duncan in Scotland. EOGHAN = "a young man" or "youthful warrior". ANG. Eugene, Owen. FEARGAL = fear (fhar), "a man; gal, "valour". "a valiant warrior". The root of Virgil, and O'Farrell. FEIDHLIM = (felim) "great goodness".ANG. Felix. FERGUS = "a strong warrior". FIACHA = "a hunter". FLANN = "blood". "of a red complexion". MAOL = "bald or tonsured person". A spiritual servant or devotee of a saint.The root of the name Moyles. NIALL = "a noble knight or champion". The root of O'Neil, etc. RUADHRAIGE = ruadh,"red";righ, "a king". "the valiant, or red haired king". ANG.Rory, Roderick,Rogers. TUATHAL = (tool) Possessed of "large landed Properties". The root of O'Toole, Tolan, etc. UALGARG = uaill, "famous"; garg, "fierce". "a famous and fierce warrior". Gaelic = English Gaelic = English AODH = HUGH EAMONN = EDMUND BERACH = BARRY ELISHE = ALICE BRIAN = BERNARD GRAINE = GRACE BRIDGIT = DELIA (a nickname) LIAM = WILLIAM CATHAL = CHARLES MAIRE = MARY CEALLAIGH = KELLY McGOWAN = SMITH (occ.) CONNAD = KENNETH PADRAIC = PATRICK DATHI = DAVID RUADHRI = RORY,RODGER DHONAL = DANIEL, DONAL SEAMUS = JAMES DIARMID = JEREHMIA, DARBY SEAN = JOHN DONOGH = DENIS, DONAT TOMOLTACH = TIMOTHY,THOMAS **************************************************** Naming Traditions Our ancestors often used the following naming procedure when picking out a name for a new child. This explains why certain names are VERY common in a given family line. Watching for these patterns can help in your genealogy research. 1st son = father's father 2nd son = mother's father 3rd son = father 4th son = father's oldest brother 5th son = father's 2nd oldest brother or mother's oldest brother 1st dau = mother's mother 2nd dau = father's mother 3rd dau = mother 4th dau = mother's oldest sister 5th dau = mother's 2nd oldest sister or father's oldest sister Here are a few Latin forms for some Irish given names; there are no doubt many more, but these are a few that I have run across. Bartholemew BARTHOLOMAEUS Dennis DIONYSIUS Edward EDUARDUS Eugene EUGENIUS John JOANNES or JOHANNES James JACOBUS Joseph JOSEPHUS Charles CAROLUS Lawrence LAURENTIUS Martin MARTINUS Matthew MATTHAEUS Maurice MAURITIUS Patrick PATRITIUS Paul PAULUS Peter PETRUS Timothy TIMOTHEUS William GUILIELMUS First son for Paternal grandfather, 2nd son for maternal grandfather, 3rd son for father, 4th son for father's brother, 5th son for mother's brothers. Pattern for 4th and 5th sons might be interrupted to name a son for a favorite saint, and at all times the pattern might be interrupted to name a successive son after an older son who might have died. First daughter for maternal gran, 2nd daughter for paternal gran, 3rd daughter for mum, 4th daughter for mum's sisters, 5th daughter for dad's sisters, with the above provisos again holding true. First son for Paternal grandfather, 2nd son for maternal grandfather, 3rd son for father, 4th son for father's brother, 5th son for mother's brothers. Pattern for 4th and 5th sons might be interrupted to name a son for a favorite saint, and at all times the pattern might be interrupted to name a successive son after an older son who might have died. First daughter for maternal gran, 2nd daughter for paternal gran, 3rd daughter for mum, 4th daughter for mum's sisters, 5th daughter for dad's sisters, with the above provisos again holding true. Old Naming Patterns •1st son named after father's father •2nd son named after mother's father •3rd son named after father •4th son named after father's eldest brother •1st daughter named after mother's mother •2nd daughter named after father's mother •3rd daughter named after mother •4th daughter named after mother's grandmother Christian Names Though of minor importance in comparison with surnames the question of the prevalence of christian names is of sufficient interest to merit a brief examination. In America and in England the use of surnames as christian names has become very widespread since the end of the nineteenth century. In Great Britain famous surnames like Cecil, Douglas, Gordon, Leslie and Stanley are now regarded there as recognized christian names and are common as such; while in the United States you are more likely to meet, say, a Calvin D. Smith than a plain Tom Smith. In modern times in Ireland, particularly in Catholic Ireland, christian names are generally chosen from those of saints: but we still have a fair share of old Gaelic personal names in use, such as Brian, Connor, Dermot and Manus, which are not to be found in Irish hagiology. However, most of the old Gaelic names were actually borne by some early Irish saint: the commonest of them to- day are Aidan, Brendan, Colman, Donough, Fergus, Finbar, Fintan, Kevin, Kieran, Lorcan and Phelim among men, and Brigid, Dympna and Ita among women. Gaelic names such as those just referred to have become more popular of late years, but the great majority of our people bear christian names which are not of Irish origin; and this has been the case since the destruction of the old Gaelic order.