Irish names
- Thread starter Sentosa
- Start date
I'm trying to figure out what the 2nd half of C18 means so I can be helpful . . .
I'm running a slight fever and I think I may have hit a wall
The standard medieval book by Donnchadh O Corrain and Fidelma Maguire is really meant for medievalists, but it offers modern equivalents, and often traces them to the 18th and 19th century. It's got two different titles for the Irish version and the U.S. paperback version. It's a bit of a tome, though. Gaelic Names, is one, and I think the one I have, the hard cover, Irish Personal Names, is the Irish version; I'd check but it's in storage a very long way away.
A lot of more recent work in the context of post Medieval records and genealogy was done by Father Patrick Woulfe. He's mostly interested in descent and such, but the discussions of names includes dates and counties or townships. The wikipedia article on Irish naming conventions is actually quite reasonable:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_name
I'm running a slight fever and I think I may have hit a wall
The standard medieval book by Donnchadh O Corrain and Fidelma Maguire is really meant for medievalists, but it offers modern equivalents, and often traces them to the 18th and 19th century. It's got two different titles for the Irish version and the U.S. paperback version. It's a bit of a tome, though. Gaelic Names, is one, and I think the one I have, the hard cover, Irish Personal Names, is the Irish version; I'd check but it's in storage a very long way away.
A lot of more recent work in the context of post Medieval records and genealogy was done by Father Patrick Woulfe. He's mostly interested in descent and such, but the discussions of names includes dates and counties or townships. The wikipedia article on Irish naming conventions is actually quite reasonable:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_name
Paul
Banned
yeah, good article. still more or less held up to 50/60 years ago. As for nicknames... pretty varied, though some were passed on from father to son. If the father was still alive, (or was dead but had been a major man about town,) the son was usually referred to as Óg ( beag (small) usually only if being cruel/playful, ie 'you're no match to your father sorta thing) if he shared the same name as his father.
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2005
- Messages
- 21,856
- Reaction score
- 10,453
*feels validated* I have a book by Patrick Woulfe -- Irish Names for Children. Thorough and fascinating, and it has some backstory (not more than a line or two, though) for a lot of the names. It started us on the way to choosing the names for our daughter (our son's name too, but I'd had that name chosen for a long, long time!).
My son's names:
Eagin (traditional spelling is Eagan)
Corbin (I think this may be Scottish or Welsh, we went for something with a similar feel)
Tadhg- This is definitely Irish. Pronounced like Tiger without the "er" DO NOT Anglicize the spelling to Tighe as it is somewhat slanderous. This one is a good old fashioned name. Lots of history but much debate over the proper meaning.
OOPS. Sorry, I thought you were just looking for names.
Eagin (traditional spelling is Eagan)
Corbin (I think this may be Scottish or Welsh, we went for something with a similar feel)
Tadhg- This is definitely Irish. Pronounced like Tiger without the "er" DO NOT Anglicize the spelling to Tighe as it is somewhat slanderous. This one is a good old fashioned name. Lots of history but much debate over the proper meaning.
OOPS. Sorry, I thought you were just looking for names.
I'm not planning on having a need for an in-depth use of Irish names, but I do like to be accurate and avoid cliches, of which I'm guessing "Paddy" might be one.
Also, take a name like "William". In C18 (there it is again) Ireland, I'm wondering if friends might have called him "Will", or "Bill". Simple mistakes like these can cause credibility issues. I know it's a novel, but...
Also, take a name like "William". In C18 (there it is again
) Ireland, I'm wondering if friends might have called him "Will", or "Bill". Simple mistakes like these can cause credibility issues. I know it's a novel, but...OOPS. Sorry, I thought you were just looking for names.
You never know, your son's names may go down in immortality.
Sometimes I find it useful to occasionally use traditional names, so your suggestions are helpful.
That's a particularly useful article. I became aware of naming conventions like these when I was researching my family history.
Actually, Tadgh was almost more common than Paddy. I wouldn't consider it cliche, but it's a good one to consider if you want one that is historically correct. It is still a commonly used one today as well.
Of course, since we are American, nobody has a clue how to pronounce it if they just see it spelled out. LOL
I found some helpful websites on Irish names and their history just by Google. They are quite popular and people want to know about origins.
Of course, since we are American, nobody has a clue how to pronounce it if they just see it spelled out. LOL
I found some helpful websites on Irish names and their history just by Google. They are quite popular and people want to know about origins.
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2005
- Messages
- 21,856
- Reaction score
- 10,453
Tadgh Keneally has made a good name for himself playing Aussie Rules for the Sydney Swans. He helped the team win its first Premiership in over eighty years. He comes from a long line of Gaelic football stars and went back home to carry on the family tradition, but he's returned to the Swans again.
I'm working on a list of Irish names, but unfortunately most of them are from 1680-1730. If you'd like a few anyway, let me know.
I don't need a lot of Irish names -- just a couple to add flavour. It's a bit like dialect -- a little can go a loooooooooong way
If...
you look at the stickie, Resources by Era at the top of this board you will find some urls for names, one of which has an excellent list of Irish names.
you look at the stickie, Resources by Era at the top of this board you will find some urls for names, one of which has an excellent list of Irish names.
I used this site once when I was looking for unique names for a fantasy novel I was writing when I was like twelve. Anyways, you can search by origin (such as Galeic-sorry I know I probably misspelled that) and you can search by gender.
http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/gaelic-names.html
http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/gaelic-names.html
It might be a good idea for the OP (and others) to drop by the international district, where we have an irish thread. You might get some answers
Important to remember as well that Ireland had a large catholic population, and this will be reflected in the names. There is also census information for the 1901 and 191q online now as well (set up by the goverment). They hope to have earlier years set up soon. This might help.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/
Important to remember as well that Ireland had a large catholic population, and this will be reflected in the names. There is also census information for the 1901 and 191q online now as well (set up by the goverment). They hope to have earlier years set up soon. This might help.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/
I went to a Catholic High School where alot of the kids were predominatly Irish decent. There are lots of Marys, Bridgets, Patricks, Sarahs...I was going to say this earlier but names from the Bible-though cliche I know, espically Mary-were very common. I would even argue they are still popular today.
I can testify to Mary Although it's a rare enough name now.
Anne and Mary very very popular in my grandmothers and great grandmothers generation. (one of whom born in 1887).
Today Irish names like Tadgh, Orla, Aoife etc. are more popular than biblical names.
Although it's a rare enough name now. Anne and Mary very very popular in my grandmothers and great grandmothers generation. (one of whom born in 1887).
Today Irish names like Tadgh, Orla, Aoife etc. are more popular than biblical names.
Very interesting site. However, it gives me an interesting challenge. A neighbour, who's about as Irish as they come, assured me that a good Irish alternative to William is Liam. Checked this site, and while Liam is listed as a form of William, it's origins are Germanic and Hebrew.
All this proves to me is perhaps one can check/research too much.
