From the Irish.

HISTORY—THE CELTS.

Careful study and research have enabled philologists to establish a system of linguistic classification. They have given us such families as the Chinese, the Polynesian, the Scythian, the Semitic, and others; and above them all the great Indo-European Family, which comprehends ten members—three Asiatic and seven European.

Seven of these ten families have long been recognized, namely: Iranian, or Ancient and Modern Persian; Indian, or Sanskrit, used in Hindostan; Hellenic—Ancient and Modern Greek; Italic, that is, the Latin and its descendants—Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Provençal, Rheto-Romanic, and Wallachian; Slavonic, preëminently the Russian; Celtic, or Keltic, made up of the Cymric and the Gaelic; Teutonic, subdivided into Gothic, Scandinavian, High German, and Low German. Into the Low German the English falls. Recent scholars have added to these seven the Lithuanian, Armenian, and Albanian, making ten in all.

So unlike are these languages now, that it was not suspected until this century that they were once the same speech spoken by a people dwelling together long enough to build up a respectable vocabulary and a common language. The home of this mother-tribe is involved in obscurity. Conjecture, at one time, placed it upon the high table-land of Eastern Persia. Recent surmise, principally German, locates it in Germany, in Scandinavia, in Russia just north of the Caucasus mountains. When, and in what order, the migrations took place is also conjectural. That great migrations did occur, and that each migrating horde carried along with it the parent speech, is no longer questioned. Strong authorities make it credible that the Celtic tribes were the first to abandon the old homestead and seek their fortunes in new and strange lands.

Of this people, the Celts, when first they appear upon the historical horizon, some prefatory remarks are needed. They occupied the Spanish Peninsula, Gaul when conquered by Cæsar, and Britain, when visited by him in 55 and 54 B. C. In Britain, they were divided into many tribes, and were seldom known to unite in a common cause. They lived in houses hollowed out of the hills, built with low stone walls, thatched with reeds and straw, and lighted only by the door. Their dress consisted of the tunic and short trousers. Fruits, milk, flesh, and grain bruised and baked, constituted their food. They manufactured earthenware, war chariots, arrows, the sword, the spear, the battle-axe, and the shield, burned or buried their dead, tattooed their bodies, and were largely controlled by their priests. The latter—the druids—monopolized the learning, took to themselves supreme authority, settled all disputes, civil and criminal, and were exempt from taxation and all public duties.

No determined resistance was offered by the Celts to Roman occupancy of Britain, for, under Agricola, the Romans had by 84 A. D., conquered as far north as the Firth of Forth, which they joined to the river Clyde by the wall of Antoninus. Subsequently, they built as additional protection against the Picts, the noted wall of Severus, sometimes called Hadrian’s wall, which united the Solway and the Tyne. No attempt of a thorough conquest of the island was made by the Romans, but with their headquarters at Eboracum, now York, they held it by a chain of fortified posts, whose site is now mainly indicated by towns with names terminating in chester, cester or caster—modifications of the Latin castra, a camp. These posts the Romans connected by broad and straight military roads over which their legions could readily march.

Roman aggrandizement was of primary importance. Taxes were levied on arable land, on pasture land, and on fruits, and duties were exacted at the ports. Agriculture was fostered, and large quantities of grain exported to Rome. But the imperial city whose empire was so wide, and whose armies were mostly composed of conscripts from subjugated people, and led by generals of their own blood, was threatened by invading hordes, and was compelled to withdraw her legions for home defense. By 420 the soldiers had all been withdrawn, and the Celts were themselves once more. But their freedom and rejoicing were of short continuance. A more formidable invasion than that of the Roman followed, and by the middle of the fifth century they were the slaves of the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes.

Upon the withdrawal of the Roman legions from Britain, the unsubdued Picts and Scots of the north attacked the Celts of the south, who had been subjects of Roman oppression. Whether the assailed Britons detached the Gothic tribes from an alliance with the Picts and Scots, and turned them against their former allies; whether, without having been in league with them, the strangers came from their home beyond the North Sea to help beat back the Picts and Scots; or whether, tempted by the fertile soil, they came on their own account, we may never know; but one thing is certain, that they came, and that they came never to go away. Their coming is of weighty significance, for they became the basis of the English nation, and their speech the parent of the English language.

The unconquered Celts of the west and north spoke their own tongue—the Celtic—while that of the conquered portion was overwhelmingly the language of the conquerors, and was called the Anglo-Saxon. It was not, however, entirely pure, for some few Celtic words had unavoidably entered it. The names for the rivers, lakes, hills and mountains, given by the Celts, clung pertinaciously to these objects, and are found with the English of the present day. Throughout the whole of England there is hardly a river-name that is not Celtic. Avon, Celtic for water, occurs as the name of fourteen English rivers upon our maps. Esk, of like meaning, designates more than twenty, and has also entered into the names of towns, as in Axminster, Exeter, Oxford, and Uxbridge. Cam, Humber, Ouse, Thames, and Wye, and many other river-names, are Celtic. Pen, or Ben, Celtic for mountain, is seen in the name for the range called Pennine, in that of the hills called Pentland, and in Ben-Nevis and Ben-Lomond. Dun, a hill-fortress, is found in Dumbarton, Dundee, Dunkeld. Hundreds of other Celtic words can be observed on almost any map of England, and, indeed, on the maps of Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany. The names of the rivers Rhine, Rhone, Garonne, and Seine are Celtic. Italy is Celtic for “beautiful region,” and German for “rough man.” Besides the numerous geographical names of Europe that are traceable to this language, such common names as camel, clock, comma, fodder, gun, snake, and whiskey, owe to it their origin, not to mention scores of well-known family names of every-day occurrence.

The remains of the Celtic language are still to be found in the Welsh, the Gaelic of the Scottish Highlands, the Erse or Irish, and the Manx of the Isle of Man.

LESSONS IN IRISH.

Irish Letters—Their Sounds.

There are seventeen letters in the Irish Alphabet, of which five are vowels, the remaining twelve being consonants. Their correspondents in English are a, b, c, d, e, f, g, i, l, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, and u.

The designation of the letters by their Irish names, Ailm, Beith, etc., which is only a convenient contrivance for distinguishing them from those of other languages, has been purposely omitted, partly because they are, at present, seldom or never called by their appellations, and partly because there is often danger in mistaking the names for the sounds of the letters.

Regarding the pronunciation of Irish letters, and of the Gaelic language generally, the fullest and most open enunciation is required. The vowels must be sounded as in Italian or French; the consonants, as in German or Spanish. This open, full sounding of the letters enables foreigners to learn to speak Irish more correctly and more readily than English-speaking people; for, of all spoken languages, the pronunciation of the English is the most opposite to that of Irish.

Sounds of the Consonants.

The letters b, f, m, n, p, and r, except when aspirated, are sounded like their English analogues. C is never at all pronounced like s or ch soft, but always hard like k; d, like dh; g hard, as in get; and l, generally, like the first l in William.

More variable, however, is s. Before or after the vowels e or i, it is most generally sounded like sh, there being but a single exception to the rule, and this occurs in the word is—the third person singular present indicative of the assertive form of the verb to be, which is pronounced is, and not ish. Before or after a, o, u, it takes simply the sound of s in soon, the demonstrative pronoun so, this, being in Connaught, where it is pronounced sho, the only exception.

Sounds of the Vowels.

A long, as in wâll, has the broad sound as in English; a short, that of a in băt. There is a third sound, very common in the South and West of Ireland, corresponding to the sound of a in whät.

E long is sounded as in whêre, e short, as in whĕn; i long, as ee in pîque, i short, as in pĭck; o long, as in tōld, o short as in gŏt; u long, as in rūle, u short, as in fûll.

Vowels are divided into broad and slender. The broad are a, o, u; the slender are e, i.

Union of Vowels, and their Sounds.

Two vowels coming together constitute a diphthong; three, a triphthong. In Irish there are thirteen diphthongs and five triphthongs. Of the former, six are always long, or naturally so, and the remainder naturally short, but becoming long when accented. The long diphthongs, as they are invariably long, require no accent. The seven short need the presence of this character to show that their sound is, in the case so designated, to be pronounced long.

The long diphthongs are:—ae, ao, eo, eu, ia, and ua.

Sounds of the Six Long Diphthongs.

Ae is sounded like ae in the Latin word Musæ; ao, usually like ee in queer, except in Munster where it has the sound of the first e in there; eo, like eo in the proper noun Keon; eu, long, like ai in wail; ia, like ee in teem; ua, like ooe in wooer.

Sounds of the Seven Short Diphthongs.

Ai, accented, is equivalent to the sound of awi in the English word sawing, being nothing more than the combined sounds â and ĭ; ai, not accented, has the sound of ai in the French taille, cut, and is hard to be learned by an English-speaking student; ea, accented, is sounded like ea in swear, unaccented, like the same letters in heart; ei, accented, like ei in deign, unaccented, like e in den; io, accented, like ee in green, unaccented, like i in grin; iu, accented, like iew in review, unaccented, like oo in blood; oi, accented, like oi in boil, unaccented, like u in shut; ui, like ui in fruit, unaccented, like ui in quiet.

Triphthongs, and their Sounds.

All the triphthongs—aoi, eoi, iai, iui, uai—are pronounced long, and differ but little in their sounds from those of the long diphthongs from which they are formed. They differ mainly in two particulars—first, in a slight prolongation of the diphthongal sound; secondly, in imparting to the immediately succeeding consonant, on account of its nearness to the slender vowel i, a liquid, slender sound, which it would not otherwise receive. Aoi is sounded like uee in Queen; iai, like the diphthong ia (ee), except that the final i gives to the consonant that follows a slender or liquid sound; iui, like eeyu, sounds that cannot be represented in English, as heard in the Irish word ciuin, pronounced keeyuin, in one syllable.

Aspirated Consonants.

We come now to consider the twelve Irish consonants. Of these consonants—l, n, r—never alter their primitive or radical sounds. The remaining nine do change their radical sounds to those of cognate nature.

This change, arising from a rough breathing after the vowel sound, is properly called aspiration, as it merely modifies, rather than destroys, as is sometimes erroneously supposed, the sound of the consonant. The notation for the aspirate is indicated by an accent (´) or h.

Ṕ (asp.) is equivalent to ph or f. B́, before or after e or i, to v; but before or after a, o, u, to w.

Ḿ, before or after e or i, to v; before or after a, o, u, to w, with a slightly nasal sound.

F́ is usually silent; in some words, however, it has the sound of h.

Ć, like ch in och, or the Greek letter chee. Before a, o, or u it has the former sound, which is that of the German ch; but before e or i, it invariably takes the latter sound.

Ǵ, in the beginning of a word, if before the vowels a, o, u, has the guttural sound gh; but before e or i, it is sounded like y. At the end, or in the middle of words, it has no other power than that of prolonging the sound of the preceding vowel.

D́ has a thick, guttural sound, very analogous to g. In the beginning of a word, before e or i, it has exactly the sound of y; but in the middle, or at the end, it has the force of g, that is, it merely lengthens the sound of the preceding vowel or diphthong.

T́ loses its power as a consonant, and has the force of h.

Ś has the sound of k; s, final, is never aspirated.

Derivative Nouns.

Derivative Nouns in Irish are personal or abstract.

Personal Nouns end in ōir, aire, ai, aid́, and are produced from primitive nouns, or past participles.

The terminations ōir, aire, are supposed to be broken forms of the word fear, pronounced fär, a man. If so, then fear must be considered as the root of the Latin ending or, and of the English suffix er.

Abstract Nouns terminate in as or eas, masculine; in aćt, feminine; or in the genitive case singular feminine of adjectives.

Diminutives are formed from nouns and adjectives, and end in an, masculine; in în, masculine or feminine; in ōg, feminine.

Many words that are not diminutives end in an.

Other words terminating in an, from tan, time, or from tain, possessions, are of this class. Iat́, a region, a territory, is, in its fragmentary form ia, the termination of almost all the Latin names of places that have that ending.

From the active signification of the ending ać, and from the meaning of the term neać, an individual, an agent, of which ać is apparently a mere fragment, adjectives with this suffix become personal nouns, and as such are expressive of office, action, or individuality.

Sounds of Certain Terminations.

In Connaught, final ead́ is pronounced like oo in English; in Munster, like a. As the final syllable of the imperfect tense of verbs, it is pronounced incorrectly in Munster, and in some districts in the southern parts of Connaught, like guttural agh.

Generally, ad́ final, in words of two or more syllables, is pronounced like ead́; in Munster, like unaccented a; and, in Connaught and Ulster, like English oo. But in words of one syllable and their compounds, however, the Munster pronunciation is not only adopted in the South, but also in the West and North of Ireland.

In Kilkenny, Waterford, and Tipperary, the diphthongs ea, io, and sometimes iu, are incorrectly pronounced like ow on coming before l, m, and n.

In the words bean, a woman, bard, a poet, and bord, a table, the initial consonant b, when not preceded by the possessive pronouns singular, is not aspirated. Put, however, these pronouns, excepting the feminine, before the same words, and b immediately assumes the aspirate sound; that is, it is pronounced like v, if e or i follow, and like w, if a, o, or u follow.

NAMES—THEIR DERIVATION.

A.

Adaire. A for an, the; dair, oak. The oak; hence, strong, powerful, robust. Adare, from the same.

Aincy. Ain, a circle; neać, corrupted into ey, an individual, an agent.

Aitken. Ait, pleasure, fancifulness; ceann, head. Mental delight.

Alncy. Aluin, beautiful; neać, an individual. A pleasing person.

Arran. Ara, kidney; an for tan, land, riches, possessions in land or stock. Land of the kidney.

Ardry. Ard, chief; riǵ (ree), king. Head king or ruler. Awrdry, of like derivation.

B.

Baine. Baine, milk, from the adjective bân, white. Milk. Bain, contracted from the original name.

Baile. Bâile, a town, a village.

Bailey. Bâile, a town; lać, a broken form of lućt, folk, people. Resident of a town.

Baird. Bârd, genitive baird, a poet. Offspring of a Celtic minstrel.

Ball. Bâll, a member; one of a community, society, or association. Baull has the same root.

Ballantyne. Bâile, a town; an, of the; tan or tain, land, region. The town of the region.

Bannigan. Baine, milk; gan, offspring, descendant. One nourished from infancy upon milk.

Bannon. Bân, white; on for an, a termination indicative of personality. A pale-faced person.

Barmore. Bârr, top, summit, swelling tide, head; muir, the sea, genitive mâra, of the sea. Swelling tide of the sea.

Barney. Bârr, head; neać, an individual. A leader. Perhaps, the equivalent of bairneać, a limpet, because found on tops (bârr) of rocks when the tide has ebbed.

Barr. Bârr, top, summit, head.

Barret. Bârr, head; aid́, a suffix expressive of a personal noun. Manager; superintendent; leader.

Barry. Bârr, top; aid́, indicative of personality; originally, barraid́. One at the summit; a man of eminence.

Baugh. Possibly a corruption of beać, pronounced bäch, a bee.

Beahney. Beat́a, life; neać, an agent. A living being.

Benaugh. Biad́, food; neać, an individual. One who provides food; a victualler.

Benner. Benn, a mountain; er, a contraction for fear, a man. A mountaineer.

Binney. Binn, harmonious; neać, an individual. An agreeable person.

Bourke. Irish for Burke.

Bowan. Possibly from buan, lasting, enduring.

Bower. Bod́ar, pronounced bower, deaf.

Brattan. Brat, a cloak; an, expressing personality. A cloak-wearer; a clergyman.

Breen. Braon, pronounced breen, a drop.

Brennan. Breun, fetid; an, expressive of personality. An offensive person.

Britain. Brith, painted, speckled; tain, country. The country of the painted inhabitants.

Britt. Brith, painted. A painted person.

Brock. Broc, a badger.

Brodie. Brōd́, pride, pleasure; aid́, implying personality. An arrogant person; a voluptuary.

Brogan. Bro, a hand-mill; gan, offspring. Offspring of a hand-mill.

C.

Cabell. Cab, the mouth; aille, the genitive of aill, a cliff. The mouth of the cliff.

Cahal. In Irish Cat́al, from cat́, pronounced cah, battle; al, support. Help in battle.

Caham. Cat́, battle; am, time. Hour of battle.

Cahey. Cat́, battle; ać for neać, a person; possibly, cat́ać, in the original. A warrior.

Cahill. Cat́, battle; aill, a cliff. A battle-cliff.

Callan. Caillin, a girl; or, perhaps, from calla, a hooded cloak; an, a personal suffix. The wearer of a hooded cloak; a nun. Sometimes written Callen.

Camm. Cam, crooked, bent, curved.

Cameron. Cuimir, a valley; on for an, small. A small valley.

Camsuile. Cam, bending; suile, genitive of suil, eye. Bending of eye.

Cangan. Cean, pronounced cahn, fondness; gan, offspring. Child of fondness.

Cann. Cean, fondness, affection, esteem, regard.

Cannon. Cean, affection; on for an, personal suffix. An affectionate person.

Cannavan. Cean, affection; a b́ean, of his woman. Fondness of his woman.

Caird. Cara, a friend, genitive carad, plural cairde, friends. Carde, only another form of the word.

Carey. Car, dear; aid́, a personal suffix. One that is dear, or beloved.

Carlin. Car, dear; lin, a marsh; a swamp. A highly valuable bog.

Carlyle. Car, dear; lile, lily. Beloved lily.

Carmack. Car, dear; mac, son. Dear son.

Carmichael. Car, dear; Michael, a Hebrew word signifying “who is like God.” Dear Michael. In Irish, Michael is written Mićeal, the genitive of which is Mićil.

Carney. Carn, a heap of stones; neać, personal suffix; originally written, doubtless, Car-neać. A quarryman.

Carrell. Car, dear; aill, a cliff. Beloved cliff. Carruill, the primitive form of the name.

Carrick. Car, dear; riǵ, a king. A dear king. Possibly, from carraic, a rock.

Carson. Car, dear; Anglo-Saxon sun, a son. A beloved son.

Carthy. Car, dear; tir, pronounced teer, a country; ać for neać, an individual; originally Cartać. A beloved countryman. Carty, corruption of the original.

Ceiort. Ceirt, a question.

Claney. Clê, left-handed; neać, individual. Left-handed individual.

Cloonan. Cluan, a retreat; an, a person. One who lives in a retreat; a hermit; an anchorite. Clunen, of like derivation.

Cloonas. Cluan, a retreat, a cloister; Anglo-Saxon sun, a son. A monk; one who lives in a monastery.

Clough. Cloć, a stone. Cluff, Anglicised form of the name.

Clune. Cluan, a retreat. A sequestered spot.

Coile. Coill, wood. Coyle, a modified form of the name.

Colahan. Col, kindred; leat́an, wide. Large kindred; wide circle of relations.

Colgan. Col, kin; gan, a descendant. Near relative.

Colman. Colman, a pigeon.

Conley. Conn, of heroes; lać, people. Nation of heroes.

Connell. Conn, of heroes; aill, a cliff. A rampart of brave men; a cliff of heroes.

Connaught. Connaćt, in the original, from conn, of heroes; aćt a termination, like tas in Latin, or tion in French or English. Having the quality of heroes.

Connor. Conn, of heroes; cub́ar, fond of. Fond of heroes.

Corbin. Cor, a knot, a union; binn, harmonious. A happy union; a joyous wedlock.

Corbitt. Cor, a knot; bit́, life. Wedlock.

Corley. Cor, a knot; lać, people. United people.

Connell. Conn, of heroes; aill, a cliff, a wall. A close, compact body of heroes.

Cornell. Corn, horny; uille, an elbow. An elbow inflexible as horn.

Cornwall. Corn, a goblet, a drinking-cup, a tumbler, so called because in ancient times drinking-cups were commonly made of horn (corn); aill, a cliff. The horny cliff.

Cowel. Coćal, a hood, a cowel, a vestment. Or, perhaps, from cuać, hollow; fal, a cover. A hood, or hollow cover.

Cowgill. Coḿ, together; giolla, a servant. Co-laborer.

Craig. Cre, creed; ać, an individual. A churchman; the possessor of a creed.

Cravin. Craob́, a branch; in, denoting small. A branchlet; a twig.

Cree. Cre, creed, earth, the symbol of faith.

Creegan. Cre, creed; gan, offspring. An inheritor of a creed.

Creagh. Cre, creed, earth; ać, an agent. Teacher of a creed; cultivator of the earth.

Creen. Crion, pronounced creen, withered, palsied.

Creenan. Crion, withered; an, personal suffix. A palsied person.

Cromwell. Crom, crooked; aill, a cliff. A crooked cliff.

Cronin. Coroin, a crown; in, implying diminutiveness. A coronet; a small crown.

Crowley. Crod́a, pronounced crowya, brave; lać, people. Magnanimous people.

Crupp. Crup, a wrinkle, a contraction.

Currie. Curam, care (applied in Irish to all over whom one has charge); lać, an agent. A supervisor; a superintendent; a manager. Curry, the commoner form of the name.

D.

Daley. Dall, blind; eać, individual. Blind person.

Dall. Dâll, blind, sightless.

Dana. Dana, strong, powerful, mighty; bold, daring.

Darr. Daor, pronounced deer, dear, condemned.

Darra. Daor, dear; a, contraction of neać, an individual. A person of wealth.

Darragh. Same derivation as Darra. In certain parts of Ireland, ać is pronounced agh, or ach. Darrach is an apt illustration of the latter sound.

Dearr. Daor, dear. Perhaps in Darr, Darrach, etc., the e, in the course of time, has been dropped for the sake of brevity, or to satisfy the whims of the possessors of those names.

Deaver. Originally Duib́ir, from dub́, black; ir, man. A dark-complexioned man.

Deegan. De, of God; gan, an offspring. Son of God. Degan has the same signification.

Deor. Daor, dear.

Dermod. Originally Diarmoid, from Dia, God; armoid, of arms. God of arms.

Dermott. See Dermod for derivation. So intimately related are the dentals t and d, that it is not at all unreasonable that they should be interchangeable.

Derr. Dair, an oak.

Devlin. Dub́, black; linn, a marsh, a swamp.

Dill. Dill, fond, affectionate.

Dinnan. Dion, protection; an, implying a person. A protegé.

Donahugh. Dona, unhappy, bad, evil; Hugh, the Dutch for spirit. An evil spirit; an unhappy disposition.

Donegan. Dona, unhappy; gan, offspring. An unhappy child.

Donnell. Doḿnać, Sunday, aille, of beauty. The Sunday of beauty. Perhaps, Irish for Daniel.

Dooner. Dun, a fort, a stronghold; er for fear, a man. The defender of a fort.

Dooley. Duil, expectation; eać, an individual. A sanguine person.

Dornan. Dorn, a clenched fist; an, denoting personality. A pugilist.

Duff. Dub́, pronounced dubh or duv, black.

Duffy. Dub́, black; eać, an individual. A black person.

Dunbarton. Dun, a stronghold; barton, a corruption of Britain. A stronghold of the Britain.

Dunaghan. Dun, a stronghold; a for an, of the; gean, affection. A stronghold of the affection.

Duncan. Dun, a fort; cean, a head. The head of a fort; a chieftain.

Dungan. Contraction of Dungannon, which, in Irish, is Dungeanain. From dun, a stronghold; gein, affection; ain, a land. A stronghold of the land of affection.

Dunkin. Dun, stronghold; cinn, genitive of ceann, head. The stronghold of the head.

Dundore. Dun, stronghold, de, of; oir, gold. Stronghold of gold.

Dunmore. Dun, the fort; an, of the; oir, gold; originally, Dun-an-oir. The fort of the gold.

Dunmoulin. Dun, the fort; muillin, a mill. The fort of the mill.

Dunn. Dun, a fort, a stronghold, a castle, a hill, a mound.

Dunpatrick. Dun, stronghold; Padruic, Patrick. The stronghold of Patrick.

E.

Eagen. See Egan. Gen is probably a corruption of gan.

Eagin. See Egan. Ginn is the equivalent of gan.

Egan. Aod́, pronounced eey, Hugh; gan, offspring. Descendant of Hugh. Aod́gan, the original form. Eoghan, a corrupted phase of the word.

Eill. Eile, aile, oile, another.

Eire. Eire, Ireland. Eyre, a slightly altered form of the name.

Eirey. Eire, Ireland; ać, an individual. An Irishman; a native of Ireland.

Ennis. Inis, an island.

Erionnach. Originally, Eireannac, equivalent to Eire, Ireland; an of; nać, an individual. Native of Ireland; an Irishman.

Ey. Ad́, pronounced ey, luck, fortune, chance.

F.

Fadden. Corruption of Padruic, Patrick. Patrician; nobleman.

Fagan. Fat́, cause, reason; gan, offspring. Result; effect; consequence.

Fahan. Fat́, a plain, a field; an, indicative of a person. A farmer; a cultivator of the earth.

Fahy. Fat́, reason; ać, an individual. A reasoner; a logician.

Farnell. Fearn, a shield; aille, beautiful. A beautiful shield.

Farnan. Fearn, a helmet; an, person. One who carries a helmet; a warrior. Sometimes written Farnon.

Farne. Fearn, a shield, genitive fearne. Belonging to a shield.

Farney. Fearn, a helmet; eać, an individual. A knight; a warrior.

Fearn. Fearn, a shield, a helmet.

Farr. Fear, pronounced far, a man.

Feenan. Fion, pronounced feen, wine; an, a person. Wine-merchant.

Feeney. Fion, wine; eać, an agent. Wine-dealer.

Fei. Feit́, pronounced fāh, a sinew.

Feighan. Feit́, a sinew; an, expressive of diminutiveness. A small sinew.

Fenton. Fiontan, perhaps, in the original, a vineyard; from fion, wine; tan, a land.

Fergus. Originally, Feargus; from fear, a man; gus, a suffix denoting towards. One tending towards manhood; a youth.

Fernley. Fearn, a helmet; lać, people. A warlike people. Fernly, a slightly abbreviated form of the same.

Filmore. File, a poet; Muire, Mary. A poet devoted to Mary; one that writes or sings of Mary.

Finbar. Fionn, pronounced fin, fair, white; barr, summit, head. A white summit.

Finnley. Fionn, fair; lać, people. Fair people.

Finne. Fionn, fair, white.

Flinn. Fionn, white; linn, a marsh, a swamp. In allusion, doubtless, to a summer array of white flowers. Flynn, the same word, in slightly altered garb.

Fow. Foǵ, reward, booty, spoil.

Fowne. Fionn, fair. In Tipperary, Waterford, and Kilkenny, fionn is pronounced fown and not fin as is the case generally in Ireland.

Fulmer. Feolmar, jealous, envious of another’s fame, reputation, or glory.

G.

Gahn. Gean, pronounced gahn, affection, esteem.

Gall. Gall, a foreigner, an Englishman, a stranger.

Galligan. Gall, genitive gaill, stranger; gan, offspring. Descendant of the stranger.

Gallagher. Geall, promise; geallać, genitive geallaiǵ, promise; er, person. A person of promise.

Gallen. Geallan, a linnet.

Galloway. Doubtless, same as Galway. In the original Gailliḿ, the town of the strangers.

Garrett. Gearroid́, from gearr, short; aod́, compounded of aoi, a being, and De, of God. An humble servant of God.

Garrity. Gearroid́, Garrett; eać, an agent. A representative of Garrett.

Garvin. Garb́, pronounced garv, rough, rude; in, indicative of personality. A rough, rude, or unlettered person.

Gaw. Gab́, pronounced gaw, to conceive.

Gear. Gearr, short, not tall.

Gee. Aod́, pronounced eey, Hugh.

Geir. Gair, gladness, merriment, rejoicing.

Geogh. Ge, a goose; ać, an agent. One that acts like a goose; a silly person. Geough, Gough, of kindred origin.

Geugan. Geug, a branch; an, a diminutive. A branchlet. Geugen, doubtless, earliest change from the ancient form.

Gilchrist. Giolla, a servant, one devoted to another; Criosd, Christ. A servant of Christ; one devoted to Christianity.

Gill. Giolla, a servant, one devoted to another’s interests; a menial.

Gilmartin. Giolla, a servant; martin, Martin.

Gilmore. Originally, giolla—Muire; giolla, a servant; Muire, Mary. One devoted to Mary.

Ginn. Ginn, an offspring, a descendant.

Ginnelly. Ginn, offspring; aille, of a cliff, the genitive of aill. The fruit of a cliff.

Glass. Glas, green.

Glassy. Glas, green; eać an individual. An inexperienced person.

Gleason. Gle, pure; gleas, purity; on, implying a person. A chaste person.

Glennessy. Glinn, clear; eas, denoting quality, equivalent to ness; y for neać, an individual. A clear-sighted person.

Glenny. Glean, a valley; eać, an individual. A dweller in a valley.

Glinn. Glinn, the bright heavens. Home of the Blessed. Glynn, of like significance.

Gorman. Gorm, blue; an, expressive of person. A blue-eyed person.

Grane. Graine, grain.

Greany. Grian, pronounced green, sun; neać, an agent. Sun-god.

Grogan. Gruag, hairy; an, denoting a person. A hairy person. Grugan, derivable from the same roots.

Guill. Giolla, a servant, a menial.

Guinan. Guin, wound, hurt, sting, from ga, an arrow, and an, a circle, an opening; an, a personal suffix. A sufferer; a wounded man.

Guinn. Guin, an opening, a wound.

Guiness. Irish for Æneas, a corruption of Mac Anǵuis, which latter being the genitive of Aonǵus, pronounced eny-as, the equivalent of Angus.

Guire. Contraction of Maguire, which is traceable to maǵ, plain; uire, a contraction of Muire, Mary. Plain of Mary.

Gunn. Guin, a wound, by dropping i, and doubling its final consonant, becomes the word under consideration.

Gwin. Anglicised form of Guin. Gwinn, Gwynn, and Gynn are referable to the same word.

H.

Hallahan. At́, a ford; leat́an, wide. In Irish, pure and simple, the vowels are never aspirated, but in certain parts of Ireland, as before stated, the English habit prevails, as is attested to by the word under notice.

Heany. Anglo-Saxon hean, humble; neać, an individual. An humble person.

Hinch. Leat́-inse, from leat́, pronounced leh, half, and inse, pronounced insh, island, the final consonant of the first half of the word being carried over to the remaining portion: hence, Le Hinch, or the half-island.

Hugh. Aod́, pronounced eey, is its Irish equivalent: in the Dutch, its parental language, it signifies mind, spirit.

I.

Innis. Inis, an island. Innis is only another phase of the same word.

Ireland. Eire, west, and land. West-land.

J.

Jarlath. Jarflait́, from iar, inferior; flait́, a prince, a chief, one in rank next to a chieftain or prince. A feudatory prince.

Jarley. Iar, inferior; lać, people. Perhaps, derivable from jarla, an earl.

Jennings. Corruption of Mac Eonin, which is compounded of mac, son; Eonin, young Owen, or John. Son of John.

K.

Kahn. Cean, pronounced kahn, fondness, regard. Kahne, referable to the same root.

Kame. Ceim, pronounced kame, step, grade, dignity.

Kane. Cain, reproach, chaste, undefiled.

Kean. Ciuin, pronounced keeyuin, calm, gentle.

Kearney. Carn, pronounced karn, a heap of stones; cać, an agent. So also Karney.

Keefe. Caoiḿ, pronounced kueev, gentle.

Keegan. Kee, contraction of Mac Aoid́, son of Hugh; gan, offspring. Descendant of the son of Hugh.

Keenys. Ciuin, gentle; eas, a termination expressive of quality. Gentleness.

Kelley. Cailleać, a woman in a hood. The calla was generally worn by the old, and hence the term cailleac came to signify an old woman, a hag.

Kenallay. Cineal, pronounced knawl, a race, clan; ać, an individual. A clansman; one who belongs to a clan.

Kennard. Ceann, pronounced ken, head; ard, top, summit. Top of the head.

Kenna. Ceanna, genitive of ceann, belonging to the head.

Kent. Ceantir, compounded of ceann, head; tir, country. Head of the country.

Kehoe. Ceo, pronounced keogh, darkness. Keogh, similarly derived.

Keohne. Ceo, darkness; ain, a circle, genitive aine, of a circle. Darkness of the circle.

Keonen. Mac Eonin, from Mac, son, and Eonin, young Owen. Son of young Owen.

Kevin. Caoiḿǵein, from caoiḿ, gentle, and gein, an offspring. A gentle child.

Kiernan. Ciaran, from ciar, black; an, expressing personality, and indicative of a noun derived from an adjective. A black person.

Kilgore. Cill, church; gâir rejoicing, merriment.

Kilbritain. Cill, church; Brith, painted; tain, country. The church of the country of the painted inhabitants.

Kineal. Cin, of the head, source; al, offspring. Clan; class; race; progeny.

Kincaid. Cionn, affection, regard; cead, first. First love; earliest affection.

Kinkora. Cionn, love; cora, genitive of coir, justice. Love of justice.

Kinnear. Cionn, affection; fear, a man. An affectionate man.

Kinney. Cionn, pronounced kin, esteem, regard; neać, an individual. A person of esteem. Kinnie, of like derivation.

Kirin. Ciaran, from ciar, black; an, implying person. A black person.

Kirwin. Ciard́ub́an, a swarthy, black-haired person.

Krean. Crion, pronounced kreen, withered, palsied.

Kueney. Ciuin, gentle, mild; neać, an individual. A mild person.

Kynett. Cionn, pronounced in certain parts kynn, affection; aid́, sign of a personal noun. An affectionate person.

L.

Langdon. Loing, of ships; dion, a harbor. A harbor of ships.

Leahy. Leat́an, pronounced leahan, wide; an, denoting personality. A large person.

Lillagan. Lile, genitive of lil, lily; gan, offspring. Descendant of a lily.

Limerick. Luimneać, from luime, or loime, bareness; neać, for na eać, of the horses. Bareness of the horses. The original possessor of this name was, doubtless, a native of the town of the same name, which was built on a peninsula made bare by the many horses sent thither to graze.

Linn. Linn, a marsh, a swamp.

Linnehan. Linn, a marsh; leat́an, wide. A broad marsh. Linahan and Linehan are from the same roots.

Linch. Leat́-inse, leat́, half; inse, island. Half-island. Lynch has like derivation.

Linton. Linn, a marsh; ton, from tun, Anglo-Saxon for town. A town built on a marsh.

Loch. Loć, pronounced loch, lokh, logh, a lake.

Long. Long, a ship. Not to be mistaken for the Anglo-Saxon long, or lang, having length. The typical Longs were of Celtic origin.

Loughlin. Loć, lake; linn, a marsh. A lake within a marsh.

Loughry. Loć, lake; riǵ, pronounced reegh, or reey, king. The lake of the king. Lowry, an abbreviation of the name.

Lunn. Luan, the moon.

M.

McAdam. Mac, son; Hebrew word Adam, a red, or dark-brown man.

McAdoo. Mac, son; Ad́aḿ, pronounced either Adk-oo or Awoo, Adam. Son of Adam.

MacAlister. Mac, son; Alister, Alexander. Son of Alexander. MacAllister, of the same parentage.

Mac Aller. Mac, son; alla, a cliff; er, a man. Son of a cliff-dweller.

McAlonan. Mac, son; aluin, beautiful; an, sign of personal noun. Son of a beautiful person.

McAlvin. Mac, son; Alvin, corruption of Alban, genitive case of Alba, Scotland. Son of Scotland.

McAnally. Mac, son; anail, genitive of anal, breath; ać, an individual. Son of the breath of a person. McNally, only an abbreviated form of the same.

McAndrew. Mac, son; Andrew, a Greek word meaning strong, manly. Son of the strong. MacAndrias is the Irish form, from which are obtainable Anderson and Andrews.

McArdle. Mac, son; ard, high; le, contraction of aille, genitive of aill, a cliff. Son of a high cliff.

McAran. Mac, son; arain, genitive of aran, bread. Son of bread.

McArty. Mac, son; art, pronounced awrt, a place; eać, an individual. Son of a man of the place.

McAteer. Mac, son; an, of the; tir, pronounced teer, country. Son of the country; a countryman.

McAva. Mac, son; Eb́a, pronounced Awa, which is corrupted into Ava. Son of Eve.

McAuley. Mac, son; caille, genitive of caille, fame; eać, an individual. Son of a famous person.

McBeth. Mac, son; beith, genitive of beth, a house. Son of the house. Macbeth is another form of the same name.

McBreen. Mac, son; braone, pronounced breen, genitive of braon, a drop. Son of a drop.

McBrian. Mac, son; Brian, corruption of Britain. Son of the country of the Brith, or painted people.

McBronn. Mac, son; bronn, genitive of bruinn, a womb. Son of a womb.

McBryde. Mac, son; Anglo-Saxon bryd; Irish genitive bryde, of bride. Son of a bride.

McBurney. Mac, son; bur, an inner chamber; neać, an individual. Son of the inner chamber of a person.

MacCabe. Mac, son; cabe, genitive of cab, a mouth. Son of a mouth.

MacCalla. Mac, son; alla, a cliff, the final c of mac being carried over to alla. Son of a cliff.

McCallan. Mac, son; calla, a hood, genitive same; an, indicative of personality. Son of the wearer of a hood; son of a nun.

McCambridge. Mac, son; cam, treacherous; Scottish brig, a bridge. Son of the keeper of a treacherous bridge.

McCammon. Mac, son; camm or cam, deceitful; on for an, denoting a person. Son of a deceitful person.

McCamy. Mac, son; cam, deceitful; eać, an individual. Son of a deceitful person.

McCardle. Mac, son; ard, high; aille, genitive of aill, a cliff. Son of a high cliff.

McCarne. Mac, son; carn, a heap of stones; neać, an individual. Son of a heap of stones.

McCarroll. Mac, son; carruill, from car, dear, beloved; uille, genitive of uill or aill, a cliff. Son of the beloved cliff.

McCaughan. Mac, son; caiǵ, genitive of cat́, a warrior; an, a diminutive. Son of a short warrior.

McCaull. Mac, son; caille, genitive of caill, fame. Son of fame. McCaulley, from the same.

McCaw. Mac, son; cat́, pronounced cah, corrupted, doubtless, into caw, battle. Son of battle.

McCeever. Mac, son; caoiḿ, gentle; fear, a man. Son of a gentle man.

MacClean. Mac, son; lean, pronounced lane, a marsh. Son of a marsh. MacClaon and MacClane, of similar origin.

McCleary. Mac, son; cleireać, pronounced clêary, a superannuated clergyman. Son of a superannuated clergyman.

McCleil. Mac, son; lile, genitive lil, a lily. Son of a lily.

McClow. Mac, son; cloiće, pronounced clokh, genitive of cloć, a stone. Son of a stone.

McClune. Mac, son; cluain, genitive of cluan, a retreat. Son of a retreat. McCloon, corruption of same.

McColey. Mac, son; col, kindred; eać, an individual. Son of a relative.

McConkle. Mac, son; conn, of heroes; caille, genitive of caill, fame. Son of heroes of fame.

McConn. Mac, son; conn, of heroes. Son of heroes.

McConnolly. Mac, son; conn, of heroes; aille, genitive of aill, a cliff. Son of the heroes of a cliff.

McCool. Mac, son; cuile, pronounced kool, the genitive of cul, the hinder part. Son of the hinder part.

McCorkle. Mac, son; Corcaiǵ, Cork; aille, genitive of aill, a hill. Son of a hill of Cork.

McCosh. Mac, son; coise, pronounced coshe, genitive of cos, a foot. Son of a foot.

McCotis. Mac, son; cotis, genitive case of the Latin cos, a grindstone. Son of a grindstone.

McCrea. Mac, son; cre, pronounced cra, of creed. Son of a creed. From the same roots is derived McCray.

McCreary. Mac, son; cre, of earth; riǵe, of king. Son of the King of the earth.

McCritt. Mac, son; cruite, genitive of cruit, a hump. Son of a hump.

McCrossin. Mac, son; croise, genitive of cros, a cross; in, diminutive. Son of a small cross.

McCrum. Mac, son; croime, crookedness, a noun derived from the adjective crom. Son of waywardness.

McCrunn. Mac, son; Scotch croon, a groan. Son of a groan.

McCrystal. Mac, son; criostail, genitive of criostal, a crystal. Son of a crystal.

McCully. Mac, son; cuile, genitive of cul, the hinder part; eać, an individual. Son of a person’s hinder part.

McCullough. Mac, son; cuile, genitive of cul, the hinder part; loiće, genitive of loć, a lake. Son of the lake of the hinder part.

McCummisky. Mac, son; cuimin, of valley; uisge, genitive of uisge, water. Son of the valley of water.

McCurdy. Mac, son; coire, pronounced kŭrh, genitive of coir, crime, sin; d, of; eać, individual. Son of the original sin of man; son of Adam’s fall.

McDavit. Mac, son; Daib́id́, pronounced occasionally Daivit, but more commonly Dâvee, of David. Son of David. McDevitt, from same.

McDermott. Mac, son; Diarmuid, from Dia, God, armuid, of arms. Son of the God of arms.

McDiarmuid. Mac, son; Diarmuid, God of arms. Son of the God of arms.

McDill. Mac, son; dille, genitive of dill, fondness. Son of fondness.

Mac Donnell. Mac Doḿnaill, in the original, from mac, son; Doḿnaill, genitive of Doḿnall, Donnell. Son of Donnell; Son of the Sunday of Beauty; Son of the Resurrection; Son of God. See Donnell.

McDonough. Mac, son; donaiǵ, genitive of donać, an unhappy person. Son of an unhappy person.

Mac Dowell. Mac, son; doḿan, the world, genitive doḿain, of the world; aille, of beauty. Son of the World of Beauty; Son of Heaven.

Mac Egan. Mac, son; Aod́gan, pronounced Eeygan, of Egan, the Irish equivalent of Hugh. The son of Hugh.

McElway. Mac, son; Elway, a corruption of Gailliḿ, Galway. Son of Galway, the town of the strangers.

McEnnery. Mac, son; Henri, genitive of Henri, Henry. Son of Henry.

McFadden. Mac, son; Fadden is the same as Padden, which is a corruption of Padruic, Patrick, a Latin word for patrician. Son of Patrick. Fitzpatrick, so common in the Celtic, has the same signification.

McFarlan. Mac, son; fara, genitive of fear, a man; lain, of a castle, the nominative singular being lan. Son of the man of the castle.

McFaul. Mac, son; fâile, genitive of fâil, fate. Son of fate.

Mcfee. Mac, son; faoi, genitive of faoi, faith. Son of faith.

MacFeeley. Mac, son; fialaiǵ, genitive of fialać, a generous person. Son of a generous person.

McFetridge. Mac, son; Fetter-rice, from Anglo-Saxon fetor, a chain for the feet, and rice, dominion. Son of a dominion in chains, or that is in bondage.

Mac Gahan. Mac, son; geain, genitive of gean, affection. Son of affection. McGahn, McGhan, are equivalents.

McGail. Mac, son; gaille, genitive of gail, steam. Son of steam.

McGarry. Mac, son; gearraiǵ, genitive of gearrać, a short person. Son of a short person. McGarey, McGary, McGeary, are of similar origin.

McGarvey. Mac, son; garb́eaiǵ, pronounced garvey, genitive of garb́eać, a rough person. Son of a rough person.

McGaver. Mac, son; gab́air, of a goat. Son of a goat.

McGee. Mac, son; Aod́, pronounced eey, Hugh. Son of Hugh.

McGill. Mac, son; giolla, genitive of giolla, a servant. Son of a servant.

McGlinn. Mac, son; glinne, genitive of glinn, the bright heavens. Son of the bright heavens. Sometimes spelt McGlynn.

McGloon. Mac, son; gluin, pronounced gloon, genitive of glun, the knee. Son of the knee. McGlone, McGlune, from the same.

McGlory. Mac, son; gloireaiǵ, pronounced gloireay, genitive of gloireać, a glorified person, or saint. Son of a glorified person.

McGowan. Mac, son; gob́an, pronounced gowan, genitive of gob́a, a smith. Son of a smith.

McGrane. Mac, son; grain, genitive of grân, a grain. Son of a grain. McGran, McGrann, equivalents.

MacGrath. Mac, son; graid́e, genitive of grad́, love. Son of love.

MacGraw. Mac, son; graid́e, pronounced grath or graw, love. Son of love.

McGrenery. Mac, son; greine, genitive of grian, sun; riǵ, pronounced ry or ree, king. Son of the sun-king.

McGuinn. Mac, son; guine, genitive of guin, a wound, an opening, a circle. Son of an opening.

McGuinness. Corruption of MacAnguis, the son of Anguis, Irish for Æneas.

McGuire. Mac, son; Maǵ-Muire, from maǵ, plain, Muire, of Mary. Son of the plain of Mary.

McGurk. Mac, son; gurke, German for cucumber. Son of a cucumber.

McHallahan. Mac, son; T́alla, genitive, of hall; leat́an, wide. Son of a wide hall.

MacHugh. Mac, son; Aod́, Hugh. Son of Hugh. From this name have sprung M’Coy, M’Gee, M’Kay, M’Coy, and Magee. Ua Aoid́, descendant of Hugh, has given us Hughson and Hughes.

MacHulay. Mac, son; Aoid́, of Hugh; lać, people. Son of Hugh’s people.

McInnis. Mac, son; inis, an island. Son of an island.

McInteer. Mac, son; in for an, of the; tir, pronounced teer, country. Son of the country. McIntyre, the usual spelling, is from the same roots.

McKaig. Mac, son; coige, genitive of coig, war. Son of war.

McKane. Mac, son; caine, genitive of cain, the undefiled. Son of the undefiled.

McKeefy. Mac, son; caoiḿeaiǵ, genitive of caoiḿeać, a gentle person. Son of a gentle person.

McKeene. Mac, son; ciuine, of silence. Son of silence.

MacKeever. Mac, son; caoiḿ, gentle; er for fear, a man. Son of a gentle man.

MacKiernan. Mac, son; ciarain, genitive of ciaran, a dusky person. Son of a dusky person.

McKieman. Mac, son; caoiḿ, gentle; an, implying person. Son of a gentle person.

McKim. Mac, son; caoiḿ, gentle. Perhaps, a contraction of McKieman.

McKinney. Mac, son; Kinney, from cionn, pronounced kin, affection, esteem; eać, an individual. Son of Kinney.

McKnight. Mac, son; cnioćta, genitive of cnioćt, a knight. Son of a knight.

MacKeon. Mac, son; Eoin, genitive of Eon, Owen or Eugene. Son of Owen or Eugene. MacKoun, Keon, Coyne, Owens, and Owenson, are all from the same roots.

McLain. Mac, son; leune, pronounced laine, genitive of leun, misfortune, misery. Son of misfortune.

McLuth. Mac, son; luait́, genitive of luat́, swiftness. Son of swiftness.

McMain. Mac, son; miain, genitive of mian, desire. Son of desire.

McMam. Mac, son; maim, genitive of mam, a mother. Son of a mother.

McMillin. Mac, son; muillin, of a mill. Son of a mill. McMullin, from the same.

McMinn. Mac, son; min, genitive of min, pronounced mĭn, meal. Son of meal.

McMurrich. Mac, son; murraiǵ, genitive of murrać, a man of the sea. Son of a seafaring man.

McNarr. Mac, son; nairr, Irish genitive of the German narr, a fool. Son of a fool.

McNamara. Mac, son; na, of the; mara, genitive of muir, the sea. Son of the sea.

McNamee. Mac, son; anaim, genitive of anam, a soul; ee for eać, an individual. Son of a person of soul; a generous person.

McPadruic. Mac, son; Padruic, Patrick. Son of Patrick. Fitzpatrick has the same significance, fitz being the Scotch for son.

McPayne. Mac, son; payne, from old English payne, pain. Son of pain.

McPhail. Mac, son; fâile, genitive of fâil, fate. Son of fate.

McQuade. Mac, son; Dutch kwade, genitive kwaide, evil. Son of evil.

MacQueen. Mac, son; Anglo-Saxon quean, a woman, allied to Irish gein, an offspring. Son of the Queen.

McQuigan. Mac, son; caoi, pronounced kwee, wailing; gan, offspring. Son of lamentation.

McQuillan. Mac, son; cuilleain, genitive of cuillean, a cur. Son of a cur. Quillen, Quillan and Quilkin, of like derivation.

McRae. Mac, son; rae, pronounced like ray, genitive of rae, the moon. Son of the moon; one influenced by the moon; a lunatic.

McShain. Mac, son; Seaǵâin, pronounced Shawn, genitive of Seaǵan, John. Son of John. McShane, McShawn, McShaughn, of like significance.

McShimon. Mac, son; Shimoin, Simon. Son of Simon. Fitzsimon, a kindred form.

McSorley. Mac, son; Soḿairle, of Sorley, or Charles. Son of Charles.

McSwain. Mac, son; Scotch swayn, genitive swayne, a lover. Son of a lover.

McSweegan. Mac, son; saoi, pronounced swee, a sage, a philosopher; gan, offspring. Son of the descendant of a philosopher.

McTague. Mac, son; Tad́g, pronounced Taig, genitive Taid́g, of Thaig. Son of Thaig.

McTamanney. Mac, son; tam, still, sluggish, placid; neac, an individual; originally, doubtless, tamnać, genitive tamnaiǵ. Son of a quiet person. Tamany, Tamney, slightly modified forms of the same.

McTaney. Mac, son; Taney, from teann, pronounced tāne, stiff, straight, independent, stubborn, hopeful, strong, reliant; ey for eać, an individual. Son of Taney; son of an independent person.

McTask. Mac, son; taisg, genitive of tasg, task, labor. Son of labor.

McTeer. Mac, son; tir, pronounced teer, country. Son of the country. Corruption of McIntire.

McThomas. Mac, son; Tomais, genitive of Tomas, Thomas. Son of Thomas. Thompson, from the same, is an analogous, but inverted, form.

McTighe. Mac, son; tiǵe, pronounced tighe, genitive of teać, a house. Son of a house.

McTurk. Mac, son; tuirc, genitive of torc, a boar, a hog. Son of a boar.

McVan. Mac-a-b́ean, from mac, son; a, of his; b́ean, pronounced van, woman. Son of his woman.

Mackin. Mac, son; cionn, of fondness. Son of fondness.

Macoun. Mac Eoin, from mac, son; Eoin, of Owen. Son of Owen. Mackuen, of similar origin.

Magagal. Maǵ-a-geall, from maǵ, plain; a, of the; gall, stranger. The plain of the stranger.

Magher. Maǵ, pronounced mâgh, a plain, genitive maiǵ, of plain; er, a man. A man of the plain.

Maguire. Maǵ, a plain; uire, contraction of Muire, of Mary. The plain of Mary.

Main. Mein, mind.

Malone. Maǵ, plain; luain, genitive of luan, pronounced loon, the moon. The plain, or face of the moon.

Maloney. Maǵ, plain; luain, of the moon; neać, individual. The man in the face of the moon.

Martin. Martan, from mart, an ox; an, denoting diminutiveness. A young ox.

Marvin. Marb́, pronounced marv, dead; in, implying personality. A dead person.

Maury. Mâiri, of the Mauri; riǵ, king. The king of the Mauri.

Moyall. Maǵ, pronounced, occasionally, moy, a plain, a level country; aille, of the cliff. The plain of the cliff. Sometimes written Moyal.

Meehan. Mian, pronounced mee-an, desire, the h being ornamental rather than useful.

Meenan. Mion, pronounced meen, small; an, suffix expressive of littleness. A small person.

Menough. Maon, pronounced meen, wealth; eać, an individual. A person of wealth.

Milnamow. Muillin-na-maǵ, from muillin, a mill; na, of the; maǵ, pronounced mow, plain. The mill of the plain.

Mishney. Misneac, pronounced mish-neay, or mishneach, courage.

Miskey. Meisge, pronounced misge, or miske, drunkenness.

Moll. Mol, active verb imperative, signifying “praise thou,”

Molloy. Mol-ad́, pronounced moloo, “let him praise.”

Morgan. Muir, the sea, genitive mara, of the sea; gan, offspring. A descendant of the sea; a mariner.

Mowbray. Maǵ, pronounced mow, a plain, a level country; braiǵ, pronounced bragh, or bray, genitive of brać, malt. The level country of the malt.

Mowrey. Maǵ, plain; riǵ, of king. The plain of the king. Mowry, the same.

Moy. Maǵ, sometimes pronounced moy, a level country.

Moyer. Maǵ, the level country; er for fear, a man. A man of the level country.

Muir. Muir, the sea. Other forms, Muire, Muhr, Moor, Moore, Murr.

Muirhead. Muir, the sea; Anglo-Saxon head. Head of the sea.

Muirney. Muir, the sea; neać, an individual. One that follows the sea; a mariner. Murney, from the same roots.

Mulcahey. Originally Mulcat́aiǵ, genitive of Mulcat́eać, from mul, mound, cat́aiǵ, of warrior. Mound of a warrior. Mulcahy, another form of spelling.

Mulcrone. Mul, axle; cruine, pronounced croon, of the world. The axle of the world.

Muldoon. Mul, a mound, a knoll; dun, stronghold, castle. The mound on which the castle stands.

Mullin. Muillin, a mill. Mullen betrays like origin.

Mullock. Muillin, a mill; loiće, genitive of loć, lake. The mill of the lake.

Murdock. Muir, the sea; Gothic dok, an inlet, a gulf. Sea-harbor.

Murlin. Muir, the sea; linn, a marsh. A marsh by the sea.

Murray. Murrać, Murragh, from muir, the sea, and ać, an individual. A navigator; a sailor.

Murtagh. Muir, the sea; teać, sometimes incorrectly pronounced teagh, a house. A house by the sea; a light-house. Murtagh, Murtaugh, indicate their kinship.

N.

Neachtan. Neać, a man; tain, of the country. A man of the country; a countryman; a farmer. Naughten, corrupted form of the name.

Nee. Ni, or niǵ, pronounced nee, neegh, neey, a daughter.

Neeley. Niall, Neill, genitive Neill, of Neill; y for neać, an individual. Child of Neill. Sometimes written Neely.

Neilan. Neill, of Neill; an, denoting personality. One of the family of Neill. Neelan and Neelen are the same. Neelans, the son of Neelan, the final s being a contraction of sun, Anglo-Saxon of son.

Neill. Niall, from ni, a daughter; aille, genitive of aill, a cliff. Daughter of the cliff. Neill, Neille, Niell, Nille, Neal, Neel, Newill, Nihill, a few of the many forms of the name.

Neilson. Neill, of Neill; Anglo-Saxon sun, son. The son of Neill. Nelson, of like derivation and import.

Nesbit. Nees, son of Nee; bit́, life. Life of Nees; life of the son of Nee; life of the son of a daughter. Sometimes written Nesbitt.

Ney. Neać, pronounced neay, a man. More probably from niǵ, a daughter.

Nicoll. Neać, occasionally pronounced neach, a man; aille, genitive of all, a cliff. The man of the cliff. Nicol is similarly derived.

Noell. Neul, pronounced na-il, a cloud. Noel, Nowel, Newell, cognate forms.

Nolan. Noell, from neul, a cloud, and an, implying person. Son of Noell; son of the cloud. Nolen, a less common form of the name.

Noon. Noin, pronounced like oi in toil, noon. Noone, Nune, are forms of the same.

Noonan. Noinean, a daisy, from noin, day, noon. Like the Saxon term daisy—day’s eye—derived from day.

O.

O’Beirne. O, for ua, a grandson, a descendant; beirne, genitive of beirn, a child. Grandson of a child.

O’Brien. O, descendant; Brien, corruption of Britain. Grandson of a Briton. O’Bryan, of similar signification.

O’Connell. Ua Connaill, from ua, grandson; Connaill from conn, of heroes, and aille, of a cliff. Descendant of Connell; grandson of heroes of the cliff.

O’Connor. O, descendant; Connor, from conn, of heroes, cub́ar, fond of. Grandson of Connor; descendant of those fond of heroes. O’Conner, slightly modified form.

O’Daley. O, grandson; dalaiǵ, genitive of dalać, a blind fellow. Descendant of a blind man.

O’Dare. O, descendant; dara, genitive of dair, the oak. Grandson of Dare.

O’Dea. O, descendant; Dea, of God. Descendant of God. O’Day, an obscure form of the name.

O’Donovan. O’Don-a-b́ean, from o, grandson; dona, unfortunate; a, of; b́ean, woman. Descendant of an unfortunate woman. O’Donovan, of like significance.

O’Donnell. Ua Doḿnaill, from ua, descendant; Doḿnaill, of Donnell. Grandson of Donnell; a descendant of Christ. O’Donal, an abbreviated form of the name. See McDonnell.

O’Farra. O, descendant; fara, genitive of fear, a man. Grandson of man.

O’Farrell. O, grandson; fara, of man; aille, of cliff. A descendant of the man of the cliff.

O’Gara. O, descendant; gara, genitive of gearr, a noun derived from an adjective of the same name, meaning shortness. Grandson of a short person.

O’Gorman. O, grandson; Gorman, a blue-eyed person. Descendant of a blue-eyed person.

O’Grady. O, descendant; graid́e, genitive of grad́, affection; y for eać, an individual. Grandson of Grady; descendant of an affectionate person.

O’Hara. O, grandson; hara, Irish genitive of the Anglo-Saxon noun hara, a hare. Descendant of a hare.

O’Kee. O, descendant; Kee, corruption of Mac Aoid́, pronounced Mac Eey, son of Hugh. Grandson of the son of Hugh.

O’Keef. O, offspring; caoiḿ, gentle. Descendant of the gentle. O’Keef, O’Keeffe, analogous words.

O’Kelley. O, descendant; Kelley, from caillaiǵ, genitive of cailleać, an old woman, a hag. Grandson of an old woman.

O’Leary. O, grandson; Anglo-Saxon lǽr, learning; Irish y for eać, an individual. Descendant of an educated person.

O’Lone. O, descendant; luain, genitive of luan, a warrior. Grandson of a warrior.

O’Lochlin. O, grandson; loiće, genitive of loć, pronounced loch, a lake; linn, a swamp. Descendant of Lochlin. O’Loughlin, O’Laughlin, cognate terms.

O’Malachlyn. O’McLochlin, from o, descendant; McLochlin, son of Lochlin. Descendant of McLochlin.

O’Mara. O, descendant; mara, genitive of muir, the sea. Offspring of the sea. O’Meara, most generally in use.

O’Millin. O, offspring; muillin, of the mill. Descendant of the mill. O’Mullen, O’Mullane, derivable from the same roots.

O’Neill. Ua Neill, from ua, grandson; Neill, genitive of Niall, Neill. Descendant of Neill. O’Neil, O’Neal, quite commonly occur, and are similarly derived.

Oram. Or, gold; am, time. Time is gold; precious opportunity.

Ord. Ord, order, arrangement.

O’Regan. O, descendant; Regan, from riǵ, a king; an for tan, place, region. Descendant of Regan.

O’Reilly. Ua Raǵallać, from ua, grandson, riaǵail, a rule; ać, an individual. Descendant of a ruler; grandson of a king.

O’Rourk. Ua Ruarcać, from ua, descendant; rad́arc, pronounced in Connaught rooarc, sight, and ać, an individual. Grandson of Rourk; descendant of a man of judgment. O’Rourke, O’Rorke, kindred names.

Orr. Or, gold, wealth, riches. In a secondary sense, precious, valuable.

O’Shaughnessy. O, descendant; Seaǵan, pronounced Shaughn, or Shawn, genitive Seaǵain, John; nees, ni, daughter, and Anglo-Saxon s for sun, son; y for eać, an individual. Grandson of a person belonging to the son of the daughter of John. O’Shannessy, of like derivation.

O’Shanter. O, descendant; Seaǵain, John’s; ter, from tir, country. A descendant of John’s country.

Ossian. Osna, a sigh; n for an, denoting a personal noun. One who sighs; a mourner.

O’Sullivan. O, descendant; suile, pronounced soo-il, genitive of suil, the eye; i for a, his; b́ean, woman.

O’Toole. O, descendant; genitive tuile, pronounced too-il, of flood. Descendant of a flood.

Owen. Eon, perhaps from uan, pronounced oo-an, a lamb. From Mac Eoin, son of Owen, have arisen MacKeon, Keon, Coyne, Owens, and Owenson.

Owenson. Owen, and sun, the Anglo-Saxon of son. Son of Owen. Owens is the same name curtailed of the last two letters.

O’Weir. O, descendant; Anglo-Saxon wér, a man, Irish genitive weir. Descendant of man.

P.

Padden, corruption of Padruic, Irish for Patrick. A patrician; a nobleman. Paddin is another spelling of the name.

Pearson. Pearsan, genitive of pearsa. A person.

Pollard. Poll, a hole, a pit; ard, high, chief, supreme. A high hole; a deep pit.

Q.

Quillin. Cuillean, a cur. Quillen, a slightly changed, and Quill, a largely abbreviated form of the same word.

Quin. Caoin, pronounced kween, weeping, wailing. Quinn, of like derivation.

Quinlivan. Caoin, weeping; luib́, pronounced liv, genitive luib́e, grass, weed; an for tan, garden. A garden of weeping grass.

Quinney. Caoin, weeping; ney from neać, an individual. A mourner.

R.

Rainear. Rainn, genitive of rann, song, poem, stanza; ear for fear, a man. A singer; a minstrel; a poet. Rainier, a name farthest removed from the primitive form, but the one that is most generally used.

Rainey. Rainn, genitive of rann, song, poem; eać, an individual. A writer of songs; a poet. Raney, Reaney, cognate names.

Redfearn. Anglo-Saxon read, red; Irish fearn, pronounced fārn, alder-tree. The red alder-tree.

Regan. Riǵ, king; an for tan, possessions, country. A kingdom. Reagan, Ragan, and, perhaps, Rogan, of like import.

Reilly. Raǵallać, from riaǵail, a rule; ać, an agent. A ruler; a king. Reilley, Reily, Rielly, Riley, cognate forms.

Richardson. Mac Risdeard, son of Richard. Richards, Dicson, Dixon, have the same signification, Richard, in Old German, meaning rich-hearted, powerful.

Rock. Roć, pronounced rokh, rock, a large stone.

Rourk. Ruarcać, from rad́arc, pronounced rooarc, sight, and ać, an individual. An observant person; a man of judgment. Rourke, Rorke, Rork, Riark, referable to the same roots.

Rox. Rocks, from roć, a rock, and Anglo-Saxon sun, son. Son of Rock.

Ruan. Run, pronounced roon, secret, dear, beloved. Ruane, Ruene, analogous words.

Runey. Run, secret, beloved; ney for neać, an individual, an agent. One that is beloved. Rooney, Roney, common spellings of the name.

Ryan. Riǵin, pronounced ry-an, slow.

S.

Searle. Soḿairle, pronounced Sowarley, Sorley, or Charles. Shorley is from the same root, only the initial consonant has its characteristic force before the slender vowel e.

Sewell. Suil, pronounced soo-ill, the eye. Sewall, a slightly modified form of the name.

Shane. Sean, pronounced shane, old. Shan, Shean, Sheain, Sheahan, Sheehan, of similar derivation.

Shannon. Sean, old; aḿan, pronounced awan, river. An ancient river.

Shaughney. Seaǵain, pronounced Shawn, genitive of Seaǵan, John; neać, an individual, an agent. The helpmeet of John.

Sheely. Sile, pronounced Shee-le, Celia.

Shinn. Sinn, pronounced shinn, we, us. Sinn, the same, only the s has not taken its accustomed sound of sh before the slender vowel i.

Sinnott. Sinn, we, us; aid́, or aoid́, a person. One who uses the pronoun we; an editor; a reviewer; a governor. Sinett, Synott, Shenett, Sennett, equivalent names.

Smiggins. Smiggin, from smigin, the chin; s, contraction of sun, Anglo-Saxon for son. Son of Smiggin; son of the chin.

Stephenson. Mac Steṕain, from mac, son, and Steṕain, genitive of Steṕan, Stephen. Son of Stephen. Fitzstephen has the same signification.

Sullivan. Sul-a-b́ean, from sul, the eye; a, of; b́ean, woman. The eye of woman.

Sully. Sul, the eye; genitive suile, pronounced soo-il-le, belonging to the eye.

Sweegan. Saoi, pronounced swee, a philosopher, a man of letters; gan, descendant. The offspring of a philosopher.

Sweeney. Saoi, a gentleman, a hero; neać, an individual, an agent. A valet; an aid-de-camp.

T.

Taine. Teine, pronounced tain, fire. Toyne, greatly modified form of the original.

Tammaney. Tam, still, sluggish, placid; neać, an individual, an agent. A cool, calm, deliberate person.

Taney. Teine, fire; neać, an agent, an individual. An ardent, zealous man.

Tenney. Teann, pronounced tane, straight, independent, stubborn, hopeful, strong, reliant; eać for neać, an individual. A strong, hopeful, reliant person. Tenny, Teeney, Teeny, of similar import.

Terrell. Tir, pronounced teer, a country; ell for aill, a cliff. The cliff-country. Tirrill, Tyrell, familiar forms of the same name.

Terry. Tir, country; riǵ, the king. The king’s country.

Thoreau. Torad́, pronounced thoroo, produce, fruit, fruitfulness.

Tierney. Tir, country; neać, an individual. A countryman; a farmer.

Tighe. Tiǵe, pronounced tighe, genitive of teać, a house. Belonging to a house.

Toole. Tuile, pronounced too-il-e, a flood. Tool, Tull, Tully, cognate names.

Torrey. Torać, pronounced torach, thunder.

Trall. Traill, pronounced trawll, a slave, a bastard.

Trombar. Trom, heavy; barr, top, summit. Top-heavy. Trumbar, similarly derived.

V.

Van Barr. Van, Dutch for son, doubtless from Irish bean, woman; barr, summit, top. Son of Barr; son of a man of eminence.

Vannaman. Van-na-mann, from van, son; na, of the; mann, man. Son of the man. Names commencing with van are considered by writers of philology as Dutch, but in many such terms the student readily perceives an Irish origin. Van, without doubt, is nothing but bean, the Irish for woman, with its initial consonant aspirated.

W.

Williamson. Mac Uilleam, from mac, son; Uilleam, genitive of Uilliam, William. Son of William. Fitzwilliam, Williams and MacWilliam are forms of the word, the last being the Irish name assumed by the Bourkes of Connaught on the death of their chief, William De Bourg, third earl of Ulster.

Y.

Yarnall. Eireann, genitive of Eire, Ireland; aill, a cliff. A cliff of Ireland.

Yarrick. Eire, Ireland; eać for neać, an individual. An Irishman.

Yarrow. Iar, western; ać, fragmentary form of neać, pronounced ach, or agh, an individual. A western man; a native of Ireland.