Thought this might be of interest ----- Original Message ----- From: Jane O'Brien <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 1999 3:55 PM Subject: Fw: Christian Names in ireland 1 > -----Original Message----- > From: Jane O'Brien <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] <[email protected]>; [email protected] > <[email protected]> > Date: 23 June 1998 01:40 > Subject: Christian Names in ireland 1 > > > >This is to be a two part message (I think) > > > >Edited from an article by Brian De Breffny in a journal called Breifne: > > > >"The peculiarities in Christian names are not so likely as to mislead as > >diffrences in surnames- but may be thrown out of their proper place in an > >index or escape notice altogether, or, if seen might be taken to refere to > >some other person. > > > >The peuliarities in Christian names in Ireland may be divided into five > >classes: > >1.) Names applicable to both sexes > >2 ) Names usually given to one sex, but applied to the other > >3) Diminutives materially differing from the original names > >4) Names which are different but for varied reasons are used > >interchangeably > >5) Irish equivalents for English names and English equivalents for irish > >names. > > > >Florence: more usually a male name in Ireland, particularly with the > >McCarthy family, but nevertheless found albeit rarely, as a female name > >even before the popularity of Florence Nightingale in the 19th C > >Sydney or Sideny used for both sexes but more commonly as a female name. > >Evelyn - bot hsexes > >Surnames given at baptism as Christian names frequently by Protestants and > >sometimes applied to both sexes. > >Francis (male) > >Frances (female) > >Olive (female) > >Olave (Male) > >Jess (Male) > >Jessie (female) > >All confused due to their sligt differences. > > > >Edie - a male name in Ireland, confused with diminutive of Edith. > >Kitty usually the diminutive of Catherine, but also used in the forms Kit > >and Kitty as a diminutive for Christopher. > >Constant or Constance fuond for a boy in Co. Clare. > >Constance and Constantia are found as girls' names. > >Giles: usually a male name but foun in Ireland as a female name and an > >anglization of Sheila. > >Catholics in 19thC sometimes gave male children second name of Mary or > >Maria, and even rarely ANne. > > > >Bartle, Bat, Batty, Bartly are forms of Bartholomew. > >Toby form of Theobold > >Con, Connor, Corny and Neily of Cornelius > >Rory and Roddy of Roderick > >Sandy of Alexander > >Centy of Hyacinth > >Lack and Lacky of Laughlin > >Darby of Dermot > >Castor and Kit of Christopher > > > >Nancy and Nany are forms of ANne and Hannah > >Bessie, Betsy and Lizzie forms of Elizabeth > >Polly, Molly and Mally forms of Mary > >Juggy form of Judith > >Honor, Honny, Onny, Noey and Norah are forms of Honorah > >Biddy, Bride and Beesy of Bridget > >Anty of Anastsia (Anstace) > >Peggy, Maggy of Margaret > >Nell and Nelly of ELlen, Helen and Eleanor. > >Polly also used to Martha > > > > > >Interchangeables: > >Alexander: Alistair > >Theobold: Tobias (because of common diminutive = Toby) > >Edward: Edmond ( because of phonetic similarity) > >Patrick: Bartholomew (solely through confusion of respective diminutives > >PAt and Bat) > >Jacob: James (because of latin form Jacobus) > >Gerald: Garrett, Gerard > >Owen: Eugene (both being used as translations of the Irish Eoghain) > >Daniel: David ( due to poor penmanship and mis-reading or mis-copying) > >Peter: Patrick (in Ulster) > >Randal: Randolph: Ralph ( all variants of the same name and rendered > >Randolphus in latin) > >Bridget: bedelia: delia: Bessy" > > ______________________________