Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-05-27
IRISH FAMILY NAMES.

IRISH FAMILY NAMES.
wonderful Changes by VIII ich
NMac,sD and ssO,s,, Have Become
Lost.
| Family names or hereditary surnames
first become fixed in Ireland in the reign
of Brian Borumhe, between the years
1902 and 1914. For long time it was
popular error that the prefix ''O'' to
name signified that the bearer was Of
royal descent, while Mac had no spe-
cial Significance of high social standing.
This error has been exploded by show
ing that several Kings in Ireland had
borne the prefix of Mac to their names,
while some of the lowest and most OBJ.
scure families bore the prefix co." When
surnames first became hereditary some
families went back several generations
to secure an illustrious ancestor from
whom to take a name. Mac signifies
son, like the Apglo.Norman Fitz, cor
ruption of the Latin filius, a son. 80"
was taken to signify that the name came
from grandfather or more remote an
cestor.
Appended is list of some of the pop
ular names to be met with every day,
showing the transition of the name from
|
| lish. In some instances several different
names we're made from the same Irish
name. Generally the change was made
into something bearing similar sound
to that of the original:
Mac and O'Gowan into Smith, MacIn-
tyre into Carpenter, MacSpallane into
Spencer, MacCopgry into L'Estrapge,
Mac cCroesan into Crosby, O'Reilly into
Ridley, O'Donnell into Daniels, OSulli
van 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'Msrcachsin was translated into
Ryder and Angl;cised Markham. Mac
Conry was corrupted into Conroy,
and erroneously translated into King.
Rogers is an Anglicisation of the
Irish name McRory. Matthews is the
English of MacMahon. MacCawell is
the original from which has been cor
rupted Camphill, Campbell, Howell and
Caulfeld. MacOscar, in like manner,
has been altered into Cosgrove and Cos
tello, MacMurtagh to Mortimer, O'Clery
to Clarke and Clerkin. O'Cindellan to
Cunningham. The O'Dorcys of Galway
altered their name to Darcy and Dor
say, to give the impression that they
were the descendants of the Anglo
Norman family OF Darcy. O'Dulay is
the original from which is derived Delany
and DeLani.
Many Irish names have been abbre-
waited, not through any desire on the part
of the bearer to hide their origin, but in
order to render the names more pro-
nounceable IN English. OF these Mac
Eochadh is a sample, and is now known
as McKeogh and Keogh; MacGillapat-
rick, to Fitzpatrick; MacGillaroe, to
Gilroy and Kilrov; MacGilla Brighde, to
Mcbride; MacGillafinen, to Linden and
Leonard; MacGennis, to Ennis and
Guinness; O'Mulryan. to Ryan; Mac
Murragh, to Kavanagh.
The original Irish of Murphy is O'Mur-
chadha; it was Anglicised O'Murchoe,
and atterly Murphy. Connolly and Con-
molly are derived from O'Conghalaigh
Clancy is McFannchadha in Irish, and
was Anglcised MacClancy and then
Clancy. The family once owned the bar
ony of Ressclogher, in the county of Lei
trim. Tuomy comes from Tuath-da
Mhuighe; it was the name of
two baronies in Kings county,
end was afterwards adopted by
the family bearing the Irish name,
O'Maollchein. Scully is derived from
o Scolsighe. Quinn comes from O'Cuinn,
family once numerous and powerful in
the County Tyrone. Phelan and Whelan
are each corruptions of O'Faolian
O'Toole in Irish is OTuathail Sullivan,
with and without the o prefixed, is de-
rived from O'Sullebhain.
The original Kelly, in Irish O'Ceal-
laieh, was descended from Aedh. Slaine,
of 70 To- az
tive was Congalach O'Kelly, Lord OF
Bregia, who died in 1899. The family
afterward became scattered, 30 that thei 9
are but few parishes in the country but
has some of these Kellys.
1t will be surprise to many to learn
that Byron is not an English name, but
Corruption of the ancient name of
O'Beirpe, another corruption of the name |
Bruln. O'Brollaghan is the original of
Bradley, while in Scotland it is made
b odie Harrington is an Anglicised form
If O'Heraghty and O'Heunessey.
by the gentry, aud to Howard
n the same way has been changed
to Molyneaux and Baldwin. o. Honeen to
Green, O'Rourke to Rookie, MacFirbs to
Forbes, O'Cornain to Corbett, o Grieghan
to Graham, O'Heyne to Hindes, Hynes,
Hino and Haynes or Hayne, O'BarT en-, TO
harrington and Barron, Mac Hugh to
Hughes, MacGillamire to Gilmore,
O'Leyne to Lyons, O'Houlahan to Hol-
land, ODrum to Drummond.
The Irish in early times also had dis
tinctive Christian names, and these have
also Undergone change similar TO those
in the surnames, though frequently there
has been no cause for the Apglicisatlon.
Thus Cormack has been rendered into
Charles, though the latter is not trans
lation and has little similarity in sound
Mahon was turned into Matthew; Teige,
into Timothy; Art, into Arthur; Donai,
into Daniel; Goron, into Jes fry; Fini
Chin, into Florence; Feradach, into
Frederic; Eogbau, into Owen, and many
others have undergone like changes
(Exchanva /,