GENIRE-L Archives

From: Pat Traynor <>
Subject: Re: FORDE
Date: Fri, 01 Nov 1996 20:03:16 -0800

Quoting....."Tom Forde" <>
>Does anyone know any source or site about the surname FORDE. I 've heard it
>translated as Fuarthan in IRISH but in our family we were always
>Giollarna(tha) which loosely translated means the messenger on the ford
>which may explain why the FORD spelling is more common.
>My father's family came from Glantane near Mallow in Cork but I have aslo
>heard of Fordes in Mayo I believe.
>
>I would love to hear any enlightenment on the name.
>

Ford (or MacCoConsnava), Chiefs in Leitrim.
Mac Giolla na Naomh - Ford - South Connacht
Mac Conshnamha - Ford - North Connacht
O'Fuarain - Ford - Co Cork

FORD
In form, this is a common English name for someone who lived near a ford.
In Ireland, where it is more often 'Forde', it may indicate English
ancestry, since many English of the name settled in Ireland. However, in
the majority of cases it is a native Irish name, an anglicisation of at
least three Irish distinct originals: Mac Giolla na Naomh, meaning 'son of
the devotee of the saints', also anglicised as 'Gildernew'; Mac Conshnamha,
from conshnamh, meaning 'swimming dog', also anglicised 'Kinneavy'; and O
Fuarain, from fuar, meaning 'cold', and also anglicised as 'Foran'.
Clearly, the English clerks transcribing Irish names had scant knowledge of
the language they were hearing. Mac Conshnamha originated in north
Connacht, where the sept were chiefs in the area now part of Co Leitrim
from the thirteenth century. Mac Giolla na Naomh was principally a south
Connacht name, while O Fuarain originated in Co Cork. The name is still
most common in Cork, though large numbers are also to be found in the
Connacht counties of Galway and Mayo, as well as in Dublin.

Patrick Traynor, in California's gold-rush country.

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• Re: FORDE by Pat Traynor <>