IA-IRISH-L Archives

From: "Cathy Joynt Labath" <>
Subject: Irish Family Names Anglicised and Altered
Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 16:06:21 -0500

IRISH FAMILY NAMES ANGLICISED AND ALTERED

O'Farrell, Chas.. "Irish Family Names Anglicised and Altered". Journal of the
American Irish Historical Society, 1923. Vol XX. New York: American Irish
Historical Society , 1923

The subject of the origin and signification of Irish family names and their
changes into English has long appeared to me a desirable object, as regards our
history ; more especially as some of the popular writers of the last two
centuries have fallen into the most erroneous notions on this very interesting
subject. The errors of these writers have not only been adopted by the usually
shallow compilers of County Surveys, county histories and other topographical
works down to the present time, but also to some extent by writers of a higher
order, and greater learning and research, as Lanigan and Moore. Indeed, strange
as the fact may seem, it is nevertheless unquestionable that there are very few
in the country whose ideas upon this subject arc consonant with the truth ; and
hence upon most occasions when an Irishman adopts an anglicised form of his
Christian name and surname, the effect of the alteration is such as completely
to conceal, and not unfrequently to misrepresent their original orthography and
meaning.
Space will not permit me to enter into the cause for these changes, in the
ages gone past, the principal cause, however, of the change of these names was
the ridicule thrown upon them by English magistrates and lawyers, who were
ignorant of the Gaelic language. This made the Irish ashamed of all such names
as were difficult of pronunciation by English organs, and they were thus led to
change them by degrees, either by translating them into what they conceived to
be their meanings in English, or by assimilating them to local English surnames
of respectable families, or by paring.
Besides the cause already mentioned, two reasons may be assigned for this
desire which prevailed among the lower classes for the continued adoption of
English surnames : first, the English language was being gradually spoken among
these classes, who now believe that many Irish surnames do not sound very
euphoniously in that language; secondly, the names translated or totally changed
are, with very few exceptions, of no celebrity in Irish history, and when they
do not sound well in Irish, the owners wish to change them to respectable
English or Scotch names, in order that they may obtain English or Scotch
armorial bearings, and cease to be considered of plebian Irish blood. As these
changes have gone on, and still continue to go on in almost every part of
Ireland, it is desirable to give some notices of the names that have thus become
metamorphosed.
First, of names which have been translated correctly or incorrectly. In the
county of Sligo the ancient name of O'Mulclohy has been metamorphosed into
Stone, from an idea that clohy, the latter part of it, signifies a stone; but
this being an incorrect translation in the present instance, these persons may
be said to have taken a new name. In the county of Leitrim the ancient, and by
no means obscure, name of MacConnava has been rendered Ford, Forde and Foord,
from an erroneous notion that ava, the last part of it, is a corruption of atha,
of a ford. This is also an instance of false translation, for MacConnava, chief
of Muinter Kenny,jn the county of Leitrim, took his name from his ancestor
Cusnava, who flourished in the tenth century. In Kerry and Thomond the ancient
name of O'Cnavin is now often anglicised Bowen, because Cnavin signifies a small
bone. In Tirconnell the ancient name of O'Mulmoghery is now always rendered
Early, because moch-eirigh signifies early rising. This version, however, is
excusable, though not altogether correct, because it fails to account for the O'
Maol or Mul prefix. In Thomond, O'Marcachain is translated Ryder by some
(Marcack signifying a horseman), but anglicised Markham by others; and in the
same territory O'Lahiff is made Guthrie, which is altogether incorrect. In
Tyrone the ancient name of MacRory is now invariably made Rogers, because Roger
is assumed to be the English Christian name corresponding to the Irish Ruaidhri
or Rory. In Connamara, in the west of the county of Galway, the ancient name of
MacConry is now always made King, because it is assumed that ry, the last
syllable of it, is from righ (pron. ree), a king; but this is a gross error, for
this family, who are of Dalcassian origin, took their surname from. their
ancestor Curoi, a name which forms Conroi in the genitive cast, and has nothing
to do with righ, a king; and the Kings of Connamara would, therefore, do well to
drop their false name, a name to which they have no right, and re-assume their
proper ancient and excellent name of Macconry, through which alone their
pedigree and their history can be traced.
These examples selected out of a long list of Irish surnames, erroneously
translated, are sufficient to show the false process by which the Irish are
changing their ancient surnames. Here are a few specimens showing how Irish
surnames have been assimilated to English or Scotch ones, from a fancied
resemblance in the sounds of both.
In Ulster, MacMahon, the name of the chiefs of Oriel, which, the poet
Spencer attempted to prove to be an Irish form of Eitzursula, is now very
frequently anglicised Matthews. MacCawell, the name of the ancient chiefs of
Kirel Ferady, is anglicised Camphill, Cambell, Howell, and even Caulfield. In
Thomond, the name O'Hiomhair is anglicised to Howard among the peasantry, and to
Ivers and Evers among the gentry. In the same county the ancient Irish name of O
'Beirne is now changed to Byron; while in the original locality of the name, in
the east of the county of Roscommon, it is anglicised Bruin among the peasantry;
but among the gentry who know the historical respectability of the name, the
original form of O'Beirne is retained. In the province of Connacht the fine old
family of O'Heraghty is changed to to Harrington. In the city of Limerick the
name of O'Shaughnessy was changed to Sandys by a family who knew their pedigree
well. In the county of Londonderry, the celebrated old name of O'Brallaghan is
made to look English by being translated to Bradley, an English name of no
lustre, at least in Ireland, while in Scotland it is made Brodie. In the county
of Fermanagh, the O'Creighan have changed their names to Creighton, for no other
reason than because one Col. Creighton lived in their vicinity and was created
the Earl of Erne. In the county of Leitrim, O'Fergus, the descendant of the
ancient Evenaghs of Rossinver, has been changed to Ferguson.
Throughout the province of Ulster generally, very extraordinary changes
have been made in the names of the aborgines; as MacTeige, to Montague; O'
Mulligan, to Molyneaux; MacGillycuskly, to Cosgrove; MacGillyglass to Greene; O'
Tuathalain, to Toland and Thulis; O'Hay, to Hughes; O'Carellan to Carleton, as,
for instance, William Carleton, the celebrated writer on "Irish Traits and
Characteristics," who is of the old Milesian race of the O'Cairellans, the
ancient chiefs of Clandermot, in the county of Londonderry; O'Howen, to Owens;
MacGillyfinnen, to Leonard; MacShane, to Johnson and even Johnston; O'Gneeve, to
Agnew; O'CIery, to Clarke; MacLave, to Hand; MacGuiggin, to Goodwin; O'Hir to
Hare; O'Luane, to Lamb; MacConin to Canning; O'Haughey, to Howe; O'Conwy to
Conway; O'Loingsy, to Lynch; MacNamee, to Meath, etc.
In Connacht, O'Greighan is changed to Graham; O'Cluman, to Coalman; O'
Naughtoll, to Norton; MacRannall, to Reynolds; O'Hosea, to Hussey; MacFirbis, to
Forbes; O'Hargadon, to Hardiman (the author of the History of Galway, etc., is
of this . .name, and not of English origin, as the present form of that name, as
well as that of Carleton, would seem to indicate) ; O'Mulfovar, to Milford; O'
Tiompain, to Tenpenny; O'Conagan, to Conyngham; O'Heyne, to Hynes and Hines; O'
Mulvihill, to Melville; O'Rourke to Rooke; MacGillakilly, to Cox and Woods. In
Munster, O'Sesnan is changed to Sexton; O'Shanahan, to Fox; O'Turran, to Troy; O
'Mulligan, to Baldwin; O'Hislteen, to Hastings; O'Nia, to Neville (in every
instance!) ; O'Sheedy, to Silke; O'Mulfaver, to Palmer; O'Trehey and MacCoshy,
to Foote; O'Honeen, to Greene; O'Conning, to Gunning; O'Murdy, to Morley; O'
Kinsella, to Kingsley and Tinsley; MacGillymyre, to Merryman; O'Faelcon, to
Wolfe; O'Barran, to Barrington; O'Keatey, to Keating; O'Connowe, to Conway; O'
Credan, to Creed; O'Feehily, to Pickley; O'Ahern, to Heron, etc.
Scores of similar instances might be given, but the number exhibited is
sufficient to show the way in which Irish family names have become assimilated
with those of their conquerers. The above short list, imperfect as it
necessarily must be, does not attempt to give the various forms of spelling
which each name assumes according to the whim of the bearer, or according to
euphony of the dialect of his native district. Many of the names are attempted
translations from the Gaelic by persons who were entirely ignorant of that
language. For instance, the family name of Wynne, which was spelled phonetically
from the Gaelic, Mulgeehy, is translated into Winn, Wynne, etc., under the
belief that the last part of the word was "gaoth," which means "wind." This
method played havoc with the orthography of Irish names. A good knowledge of the
anatomy of the Gaelic language, its grammar, etc., is imperative to the correct
root knowledge of the early forms of these quaint old Irish family names.

This thread:

• Irish Family Names Anglicised and Altered by "Cathy Joynt Labath" <>