The history of Ireland is a chronicle of a great nation that has preserved and carried through centuries its traditions, traditions and culture. The origin of Irish surnames reflects a long series of troubled events, the continuity of generations and the wisdom of the proud inhabitants of the Emerald Isle.
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How Irish surnames were formed
It is believed that the island of Ireland became inhabited more than 9 millennia ago. Antique settlers left no trace in history, nothing is known about them. With the advent of our era, the main inhabitants of the island became Celts and aliens from other places: Fomorians, tribes of the goddess Danu. A numerous wave of immigrants appeared with Perine under the flag of Mil and his sons. Later, this group of settlers was called the Milesians.
At that time, the importance of the name of the Irish family emphasizes courage, courage and devotion. Traditions are justified by the centuries-old history of the Celtic island, the device of the clan, the high duty of the defender of a kind and country. The father passed the surname to his son, the latter to his wife and descendants.
The beginning of an era
In the initial era and the early Middle Ages, the Emerald Island was divided into Tuatas - territories inhabited by representatives of one tribe. A vassal system of relations was built between the leaders.
The Irish Tuats were five pentatons (each with its own king), subject to the supreme king:
- Lagin (present-day county of Leinster) is the McMurrow / Murphy family.
- Ulad (Ulster County) is a genus of O’Neils.
- Muman (Munster County) is a genus of O’Brien.
- Meade (county Meath and Westmeath) is a MacLaughlin clan.
- Connaught is a clan of O’Connors.
Over the years, new surnames began to appear, often with religious overtones, meaning: “follower”, “adherent”, “servant”. For example, Martin is “devoted to the blessed Martin,” Gilmore is “the servant of the virgin Mary.”
A lot of family names at one time formed the nickname of a person. It was not in the nature of the Celtic descendants to perpetuate offensive nicknames. On the contrary, emphasized the special talents, merit and dignity of man. Often the surname glorified the heroic past of the warrior: O’Farrell - “valiant”, Fitzgerald - “owning the spear”, O’Carroll - “showing valor in the battle”.
Like other nations, sometimes the Irish took the basis of plain descriptions of appearance: Flynn - "bright red", O’Sullivan - "dark-eyed", White - "white-skinned". The surname could read the character of a person: Brady - "energetic", Boyle - "not knowing the word", Donnelly - "dark courage."
Sometimes the surname indicated the peculiarities of the locality - the small homeland of the Irishman (Cork - “living by the swamp”). Often the names of the craft were used (Buckley - “shepherd”).
At the turn of the X-XI centuries, the surname indicated that a person belonged to a particular clan, uniting dozens of huge clans. The name of the head of the clan with respect was accepted not only by close and distant relatives. The Celts, who had no blood relationship, forever bound themselves by oath bonds with the sung and glorified clan, swearing allegiance to its head.
Viking Influence
The smooth flow of history was interrupted by the invasions of the Normandy warriors. Viking supremacy was interrupted by King Briand Bohr, the ancestor of modern O’Brien. In the XII century began the second conquest of the Normans, fateful for Ireland. The warriors of Wales were the first to invade, bringing to Walsh the popular surname Welsh. Countless clans formed around the descendants of the Vikings: Power (“poor”), Fitzgerald (“son of Gerald”). The Fitz prefix clearly indicates the Norman origins of the surname.
Sometimes the Viking dynasties adopted Celtic names. An example of this is the genus Costello (Mac Oisdealbhaigh), derived from the Gaelic os - “deer”, dealbha - “sculpture”. So, the name Jocelyn de Angulo acquired a different sound. The Normans brought surnames with a French sound to Irish history: Lacy, Laffan (from l’enfant - “child”).
Irish male surnames are heard now: Kennedy - literally, “head in a helmet”, O’Connor - “patron of the militants”, McLoughlin (“Viking”). The surname Mc’Gowen is carried by the descendants of the blacksmiths.
List of surnames and their meanings
The names of the Irish are a variety of languages and customs integrated into the modern culture of the country.
These are legends and traditions, nicknames and merit. In the end, this is the bright appearance of the good-natured red-haired people - the inhabitants of the Green Island.
Sound and popular Irish surnames have been heard by many, but not all suspect of their unexpected meanings. Here are the most famous.
Beautiful
McCarthy is a "loving person."
Sweeney is “nice.”
O’Donnell is the “ruler of the world.”
Ryan is the "king".
O’Shi - “majestic”, “beautiful”, “beautiful”.
Funny
MacMahon - "similar to a teddy bear."
Mullan is "bald."
Collins - “puppy”, “young warrior”.
O’Leary - “herd of calves”, “calf from the herd”, “calf shepherd”.
Campbell - "wrynecked."
Popular
Maguire - "taupe."
O’Doherty is "harmful."
Murphy - “sailor”, “sea warrior”.
O’Farrell - “Valiant.”
O ’Reilly is“ the descendants of the Raghaillach clan. ”
Stuart - "leader", "boss".
What do the consoles Mack and O mean
And yet, the most historically "pure", devoid of the influence of the conquerors, in Ireland, respecting the clan system and family traditions, are considered surnames with prefixes:
- “Mc” / “Mac” - the son of such and such, for example, McDonald - the son of Donald;
- “O” is “a relative beyond the son” or grandson of such-and-such (O’Brien is Brian’s grandson).
"O" literally means "from." Initially, the prefix supplemented the surname of each person from the clan: distant relatives, their descendants, vassals and members of their families.At the turn of the XI century, the most influential ruler of the Emerald Isle was Briand Boru. Almost the whole country was seized by his power. Descendants of the largest Irish clan with the surname O’Brien are now found around the world.
The prefix "Mack" in the name of the indigenous Irishmen meant "son." Most often, the prefix was used by the main heir and successor of the clan - the eldest son. The prefix was used in relation to his vassals and their descendants. Her origin is not a middle name. The prefix Mac began to supplement the names of rich and influential relatives who managed to form their own clan. This prefix in historical manuscripts occurs much later than "O". Has an abbreviated spelling - Mc.
The Mac prefix for a woman used to be changed to Nic, and O to Ni. The system of the eternal transformation of the family name in Ireland has not taken root. In the modern country, the prefix “Mc” / “Mac” is most often found in the north, and “O” is typical for southerners.
In the XII century, the conquerors of the state - the Normans, in the opinion of the British, “became larger than the Irish”: they integrated too visibly into the culture of the country. Viking children began to learn the local language and get the names of the Celts. The British introduced punitive laws that literally destroy the Gaelic lifestyle and traditions. The influence of foreigners was so great that indigenous people with characteristic surnames could not even find work. In Ireland, English culture was actively introduced - the language and even names.
At that time, many names lost the prefix "O" and Mac in English transcription, saving them only for Irish spelling. Basically, the prefixes were able to save and convey to our days only the most powerful Celtic clans.
The history of Ireland is magnificent and complex. The names of the Irish embody the great era of the Emerald Isle, preserving the continuity of generations, culture and heroic character.
