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Onomastics Onomastics (or onomatology in older texts) is the study of proper names, including their etymology, history, and use. An ''alethonym'' ('true name') or an ''orthonym'' ('real name') is the proper name of the object in question, the object of onom ...
is an important source of information on the early
Celts The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...
, as Greco-Roman historiography recorded Celtic names before substantial written information becomes available in any Celtic language. Like
Germanic name Germanic given names are traditionally dithematic; that is, they are formed from two elements ( stems), by joining a prefix and a suffix. For example, King Æþelred's name was derived from ', meaning "noble", and ', meaning "counsel". The i ...
s, early Celtic names are often dithematic.


Suffixes

*suffix ''-rix'' "ruler" **
Ambiorix Ambiorix (Gaulish "king of the surroundings", or "king-protector") ( 54–53 BC) was, together with Cativolcus, prince of the Eburones, leader of a Belgic tribe of north-eastern Gaul (Gallia Belgica), where modern Belgium is located. In the ...
**
Boiorix Boiorix or Boeorix was a king of the Cimbri tribe during the Cimbrian War. His most notable achievement was the spectacular victory against the Romans at the Battle of Arausio in 105 BC, seen as the worst Roman military disaster since the Battle ...
** Cingetorix ** Dumnorix ** Orgetorix **
Vercingetorix Vercingetorix (; ; – 46 BC) was a Gauls, Gallic king and chieftain of the Arverni tribe who united the Gauls in a failed revolt against Roman Republic, Roman forces during the last phase of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. After surrendering to C ...
*suffix ''-maris'' / ''-marus'' "great" ** Britomaris **
Indutiomarus Indutiomarus (died 53 BC) was a leading aristocrat of the Treveri (the people of the area around present-day Trier) at the time of Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul. He was the head of the anti-Roman party and the political rival of his pro-Roman ...
**
Viridomarus Viridomarus (or Britomartus as translations vary; died 222 BC) was a Gauls, Gallic military leader of the Gaesatae. In 222 BC he was hired by the Insubres who were fighting the Roman Republic, Romans. Viridomarus led a mercenary army against a Rom ...


Celtic polytheism

Some information on prehistoric
Celtic polytheism Ancient Celtic religion, commonly known as Celtic paganism, was the religion of the ancient Celts, Celtic peoples of Europe. Because there are no extant native records of their beliefs, evidence about their religion is gleaned from archaeology, ...
can be drawn from names in Irish and
Welsh mythology Welsh mythology (also commonly known as ''Y Chwedlau'', meaning "The Legends") consists of both folk traditions developed in Wales, and traditions developed by the Celtic Britons elsewhere before the end of the first millennium. As in most of t ...
, which often continue older theonyms: * Gwenhwyfar, from *''Uindā Seibrā'' "White Phantom" *
Brigid Brigid or Brigit ( , ; meaning 'exalted one'),Campbell, MikBehind the Name.See also Xavier Delamarre, ''brigantion / brigant-'', in ''Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise'' (Éditions Errance, 2003) pp. 87–88: "Le nom de la sainte irlandaise ''B ...
, from ''* Brigantia'' "the High one" *
Lugh Lugh or Lug (; ) is a figure in Irish mythology. A member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a group of supernatural beings, Lugh is portrayed as a warrior, a king, a master craftsman and a saviour.Olmsted, Garrett. ''The Gods of the Celts and the I ...
and Lleu, cognate with Gaulish
Lugus Lugus (sometimes Lugos or Lug) is a Celtic god whose worship is attested in the epigraphic record. No depictions of the god are known. Lugus perhaps also appears in Ancient Rome, Roman sources and medieval Insular Celts, Insular mythology. Va ...


Surnames

Many surnames of
Gaelic Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to: Languages * Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...
origin in Ireland and the other
Celtic nations The Celtic nations or Celtic countries are a cultural area and collection of geographical regions in Northwestern Europe where the Celtic languages and cultural traits have survived. The term ''nation'' is used in its original sense to mean a ...
derive from ancestors' names,
nicknames A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...
, or descriptive names. In the first group can be placed surnames such as MacMurrough and MacCarthy, derived from
patronymics A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic. Patronymics are used, ...
, or O'Brien and O'Grady, derived from ancestral names. Gaelic surnames derived from nicknames include Ó Dubhda (from , 'the dark one'),
O'Doherty O'Doherty () is an Irish surname, which is derived from the O'Doherty family, O'Doherty clan. List of people with the surname *Brian O'Doherty (born 1928), Irish art critic, writer, artist, and academic *Sir Cahir O'Doherty (1587–1608), last G ...
(from , 'destroyer' or 'obtrusive'), Garvery (, 'rough' or 'nasty'), Manton (, 'toothless'), Bane (, 'white', as in 'white hair'), Finn (, 'fair', as in 'fair hair') and Kennedy (, 'ugly head') Very few Gaelic surnames are derived from placenames or from venerated people or objects. Among those that are included in this small group, several can be shown to be derivations of Gaelic personal names or surnames. One notable exception is Ó Cuilleáin or O'Collins (from , '
holly ''Ilex'' () or holly is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...
') as in the holly tree, considered one of the most sacred objects of pre-Christian Celtic culture. Another is Walsh (), meaning Welsh. In areas where certain family names are extremely common, extra names are added that sometimes follow this archaic pattern. In Ireland, for example, where ''Murphy'' is an exceedingly common name, particular Murphy families or extended families are nicknamed, so that Denis Murphy's family were called 'The Weavers" and Denis himself was called "Denis 'The Weaver' Murphy". (See also O'Hay.) For much the same reason, nicknames (e.g. "the Burkes", "the long/tall Burkes"), father's names (e.g. "John Morrissey Ned") or mother's maiden name ("Kennedy" becoming "Kennedy-Lydon") can become colloquial or legal surnames. The Irish family of de Courcy descends from
Anglo-Normans The Anglo-Normans (, ) were the medieval ruling class in the Kingdom of England following the Norman Conquest. They were primarily a combination of Normans, Bretons, Flemings, French people, Frenchmen, Anglo-Saxons and Celtic Britons. Afte ...
who came to Ireland following the Norman Conquest; the name is of French derivation, and indicates that the family once held a manor of that name in Normandy. The de Courcy family was prominent in County Cork from the earliest days of the Norman occupation and subsequently became prominent in Ireland.''Families of County Cork, Ireland: Including English, Scots and Anglo-Norman Settlers'', Michael C. O'Laughlin, Irish Roots Cafe, 1999
/ref> In addition to all this, Irish-speaking areas still follow the old tradition of naming themselves after their father, grandfather, great-grandfather and so on. Examples include ''Mike Bartly Pat Reilly'' ('Mike, son of Bartholomew, son of Pat Reilly'), ('John, son of Michael, son of young John, son of Pat Breathnach'), ''Tom Paddy-Joe '' ('Tom, son of Paddy-Joe '), and ''Mary Bartly Mike Walsh'' ('Mary, daughter of Bartly, son of Mike Walsh'). Sometimes, the female line of the family is used, depending on how well the parent is known in the area the person resides in, e.g. ''Paddy Mary John'' ("Paddy, son of Mary, daughter of John"). A similar tradition continues even in English-speaking areas, especially in rural districts.


Surname prefixes

* : 'wife', pronounced . * ''De'': 'of the': a Norman-French habitational prefix used by some of the most common Irish surnames among which are ''De '', ''Le '', ''De Barra'', ''De '', ''Devane'' and ''de ''. ''De'' historically has signaled ownership of lands and was traditionally therefore a mark of prestige. * ''Mac'' (in English also written ''Mc'', ''Mc'', ''M'', and ''Mic''): for most purposes, taken to mean 'son of', as in , 'son of Neil'. However, literally, the 'of' part does not come from the Mac prefix but from the patronymic that follows it; e.g., in the case of , merely means 'son'; (meaning 'of Neil') is the genitive form of ('Neil'). In some cases, if the second word (nominal element) begins with a vowel, then becomes , as in . * : . Compressed form of ('wife of the son of') e.g. (, the wife of ). This is the grammatically correct form of the prefix always taken by a woman after marriage (e.g. a woman marrying someone of the surname would become ). (also pronounced ) is used similarly to in some cases (e.g. / ). * : In Pagan times this was expressed as , as in the case of
Mug Nuadat In Irish mythological history Mug Nuadat (servant of NuadaDictionary of the Iri ...
. The literal expression of this is "slave of ", i.e. "devotee of ". In the
Christian era The terms (AD) and before Christ (BC) are used when designating years in the Gregorian and Julian calendars. The term is Medieval Latin and means "in the year of the Lord" but is often presented using "our Lord" instead of "the Lord", tak ...
the word was used in its place for given names such as , , , , and . In later times, some of these given names evolved into surnames, e.g. and or , which became after the 15th century the name Milligan. * ''Fitz'': a Norman-French word derived from the
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
word ('son'). It was used in patronymics by thousands of men in the early Norman period in Ireland (e.g. ''fitz Stephen'', ''fitz Richard'', ''fitz Robert'', ''fitz William'') and only on some occasions did it become used as an actual surname, the most famous example being the ''
FitzGerald Fitzgerald may refer to: People * Fitzgerald (surname), a surname * Fitzgerald Hinds, Trinidadian politician * Fitzgerald Toussaint (born 1990), former American football running back Place Australia * Fitzgerald River National Park, a nati ...
'' Earls of Kildare. Yet well into the 17th and 18th century it was used in certain areas dominated by the
Hiberno-Norman Norman Irish or Hiberno-Normans (; ) is a modern term for the descendants of Norman settlers who arrived during the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century. Most came from England and Wales. They are distinguished from the native ...
s of Ireland in its original form, as a patronymic.
The Tribes of Galway The Tribes of Galway () were 14 merchant families who dominated the political, commercial and social life of the city of Galway in western Ireland between the mid-13th and late 19th centuries. They were the families of Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Brown ...
were especially good at conserving this form, with examples such as ''John fitz John Bodkin'' and ''Michael Lynch fitz Arthur'', used even as late as the early 19th century. A number of
illegitimate Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as ''b ...
descendants of the British royal family were given surnames with this element: some of the illegitimate children of King Charles II were named ''FitzCharles'' or ''FitzRoy'' ("son of the King"); those of
King James II James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685, until he was deposed in the 1688 Glori ...
were named ''FitzJames''; those of Prince William, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews (later King William IV) were named ''FitzClarence''. Note that ''Fitzpatrick'' is not Norman: it is actually a Normanisation of the Gaelic surname . * : In Old Irish as ('grandson', 'descendant'). E.g., the ancestor of the O'Brien clan,
Brian Boru Brian Boru (; modern ; 23 April 1014) was the High King of Ireland from 1002 to 1014. He ended the domination of the High King of Ireland, High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill, and is likely responsible for ending Vikings, Viking invasio ...
(937–1014) was known in his lifetime as ('Brian, the son of , the son of '). Not until the time of his grandsons and great-grandsons was the name ''O'Brien'' used as a surname, used to denote descent from an illustrious
ancestor An ancestor, also known as a forefather, fore-elder, or a forebear, is a parent or ( recursively) the parent of an antecedent (i.e., a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent and so forth). ''Ancestor'' is "any person from ...
. It has for some three hundred years been written as ''O'', but in recent years the apostrophe is often dropped, bringing it into line with early medieval forms. The apostrophe came into existence as an error by the English, when in the process of anglicizing the surnames in Ireland, the accent above the O was mistakenly recognized as an apostrophe; it is sometimes popularly thought to be an abbreviation of ''of''. * : This is the plural of and is used in reference to a kin-group or clan, e.g. , in reference to the ''O'Neill'' clan. It is pronounced . * : This is used for women instead of before a surname (e.g. , "Mary O'Brien"), and comes from a shortened form of , the Irish word for a daughter. * : This is used for women instead of , but only if this is their maiden name, never their married name. Compressed form of ('daughter of the son of/Mac...'), e.g. ('Mary, daughter of McCarthy'). is used in cases where the surname uses e.g. .


See also

*
Celtic toponymy Celtic toponymy is the study of place names wholly or partially of Celtic origin. These names are found throughout continental Europe, Britain, Ireland, Anatolia and, latterly, through various other parts of the globe not originally occupied by ...
*
Irish name A formal Irish name consists of a given name and a surname. In the Irish language, most surnames are patronymic surnames (distinct from patronyms, which are seen in Icelandic names for example). The form of a surname varies according to whethe ...
*
Place names in Ireland The vast majority of placenames in Ireland are anglicisations of Irish language names; that is, adaptations of the Irish names to English phonology and spelling. However, some names come directly from the English language, and a handful come from ...
*
Germanic name Germanic given names are traditionally dithematic; that is, they are formed from two elements ( stems), by joining a prefix and a suffix. For example, King Æþelred's name was derived from ', meaning "noble", and ', meaning "counsel". The i ...
* Scottish Gaelic name *
Scottish toponymy Scottish toponymy derives from the languages of Scotland. The toponymy varies in each region, reflecting the linguistic history of each part of the country. Goidelic roots accounts for most place-names in eastern Scotland, with a few Anglic n ...
*
Welsh surnames Fixed surnames were adopted in Wales from the 15th century onwards. Until then, the Welsh had a patronymic naming system. History In 1292, 48 per cent of Welsh names were patronymics and, in some parishes, over 70 per cent. Other names were ...
*
Welsh toponymy The place-names of Wales derive in most cases from the Welsh language, but have also been influenced by linguistic contact with the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Anglo-Normans and modern English. Toponymy in Wales reveals significant features of ...


References


External links


Ancient Celtic names
(behindthename.com)
Name Constructions in Gaulish
{{Names in world cultures Onomastics