The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1889-12-14
IRISH FAMILY NAMES.
Changes by Which "Mac's" and
SOS" Have Become Lost.

Family names or hereditary surn ames
first became fixed in Ireland in the reign of
Brian BOrumha between the years 1902 and
lOl4 For a long time, says the Irish Times,
it was popular error that the prefix so"
to name signified that the bearer was of
royal descent, while Mac had no special
significance of high social standing. This
error has been exploded by showing that
several Kings in Ireland have borne the
prefix of Mac to their names, while
some OF the lowest and most obscure fam
lilies bore the prefix 60" When surnames
first became hereditary some families went
back several generations to select an illus
trious ancestor from whom to take name.
Mac signifies son, like the glo-Norman
Fitz, acorruption of the Latin tlius, son.
"O'' was taken to signify that the name
was taken from grandfath or more re-
mote ancestor
Appended is list of some of the popular
names to be met with every day, showing
the transition of the name from the ancient
,"lsh into the present English. In some in
stances several different names We're made
from the ame Irish name. Generally the
change was made into something bearing
similar sound to that of the original
Mac and O'Gowan into Smith, MacIntyre
into Carpenter, MacSpallane into Spencer,
MacCongry into L'Estrange, MacCrossan
into Crosby, O'Reilly into Ridley, ODonnell
into Daniels, O'Sullivan into Silvers and
Silvan, MacCarthy into Carter, O'Neil into
Neil or Neel. MacConava was corrupted
into Conover, and Anglicised into Ford. In
the same way O'Marcachain was translated
into Ryder and Anglicised Markham. Mac
Conry was corrupted into Conroy, and er-
roneously translated into King Rogers is
an Anglicisation of the Irish name Mac
Rory. Matthews is the English of Mac
Mahon. MacCowan is the original from
which has been corrupted Camphill Cam
bell, Howell and Caulfeld. MacOscar in
like manner has been altered into Cosgrove
and Costello, MacMurtagh to Mortimer,
OClery to Clarke and Clerkin, OCindellan
to Cunningham. The O'Dorcy's, of Galway,
altered their name to Darcy and D'Orsay,
TO give the impression that they were de-
scendants OF the Anglo Norman family of
Darcy. O'Dulany is the original from
which is derived Delany and DeLani
Many Irish names have been abbreviated,
not through any desire on the part of the
bearer to hide their origin, but in order to
render the names more pronouncable in
English. OF these Mac Eochaldh is only an
cxdlllplc Is HOW RllUWH dS NCheOSH
and Keogh; MacGillapatrick, to Fitzpatrick !;
MacGllaroe, to Gilroy and kilroy; MacGilla
Brighde, to Mcbride; MacGillatinen, to Lin
den and Leonard; MacGenns, to Ennis and
Guinness; O'Mulryan, to Ryan; MacMur-
ragh, to Kavanagh.
The original of Murphy is O'Murchadha
it was Angicised OMurchoe and latterly
Murphy. Connolly and Connolly are de-
rived from O'Conghalaigh Clancy is Mac
Fiannchadha in Irish, and was Anglicised
MacClancy and then Cheney; the family
once owned the barony of Rossclogher, in
the county of Letrim. Tuomy comes from
Tuarh-d a-Mhuighe; 1t was the name of two
baronies in Kings County, and was after
wards adopted by the family bearing the
Irish name O'Maoilchein. Scully is derived
from O'Scolaighe Quinn comes from
OCuinn, family once numerous and pow
erful in the County Tyrone. Phelan and
Whelan are each corruptions of O'Faolian
OToole in Irish is O'Tuathai Sullivan
with and without the o prefxed, is derived
from O'Sullebhain.
The original Kelly, in Irish O'Ceallaigh
was descended from Aedh Slaine, monarch
Of Ireland. Its last representative was
Congalach OKelly, Lord of Bregia, who
died in 1892. The family afterwards became
scattered, so that there are but few par
ishes in the country but has some of these
Kellys.f
twill be surprise to many to learn tha
Byron is not an English name, but corrup
tion of the ancient name of OBeirne, an
other corruption of the name being Bruin
OBrollaghan is the original of Bradley
while in Scotland it is made Brodie Har
rington is an Anglicised form Of o. Heraght,
and O'Hennessy. O'Hiomhair was change,
to Ivers by the gentry and to Howard by tn
peasantry. O'Mulligan in the same way ha
been changed to Molyneaux and Baldwin
OHoneen to Green, ORourke to Rookie
MacFirbis to Forbes, O'Cornain to Corbett
O'Grieghan to Graham, O'Heyne to Hindes
Hynes, Hine and Haynes or Hayne, O'Bal
ran to harrington and Barron, MacHugh t.
Hughes, MacGillamire to Gilmore, O'Leyn
to Lyons, O'Houlahan to Holland;T O'Drur
to Drummond. ~~s-
The Irish in early times also had distinc
i've Christian names and these have also III
dergone change similar to those in the SUI
names, though frequently there have bee
no cause for the Anglicsation; thus Co
mack has been rendered into Charles, ,thoug
the latter Is not translation and has litt
similarity in sound. Mahon was turned I'M
Matthew; Teige, into Timothy; Art, in
Arthur; Donal, into Daniel; Goron, I'M
Jeoffry; Nnghin, into Florence; Feradac
intO Erndoric. Eorhon intn OUan. 4 al