The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-24
IRISH yEDrensEs.

ur,....t,n~ Irfor-as,ou No 60 the Origin
and Tr.nsfer-stiou or Irish ssrns.es.
Prof John o'Hart Of Dublin has written at
length 70 MIR. J. d. O'Connell OF the Bureau Oh
Statistics Of the Treasury Department an
nouncing that he has made for publication IN
America an abridgment Of his large edition OF
Irish PedIgrecs," which was published at Dub
lin several years ago. In this aoridRmenI
Prof Hart explains, nothing pertinent to the
subject has been omitted, and he thus sum
marizes Its contents;
l. Tho nations which oolonixed Ireland; Q. The ORR
gin OF the Gaelic irish nston O. The ancestry OF each
Irish family whose pedigree IL recorded in tho vol
ume; T. The stock from which each such Irish FAMILY
brsnched; o. The derivation OF each Irish surname
O. The armorai bearings OF each Irish family 30 FAR
have been able TO collect tbem; 7. Tho various
Anslicred forms which many of the old Irish sur
names assumed.
Prof. o'Hart's letter to Mr.. o'Connen then
proceeds to give this very interesting informa-
ton concerning Irish surnames:
Bearing on the origin Of slrnamss in Ireland II may
DO mentioned that in the eleventh century the irish
mon arch. Brian Boroimhe tBoru1 made an ordinance
that every Irish family and clan should assume
particular sirname Tor sire name). the more cor
rectly to preserve tho history and eeneaiosy OF
the different Irish tribes Each family was at liberty
TO adopt sirname from some particular ancestor.
and generally took their names from some chief OF
their tribe who celebrated for bis valor wisdom.
piety some other great qualities And the members
OF a family. In addition to hts own proper name
took, as . common designation, the name OF their
father or their grandfather or OF some remote
ancestor. In the frst case prenxins Mac" which
means son. and In the other two cases Ia" (mod
ernised O'). which signifies grandson or descendant
Of and in all instances the genitvs case OF the pro
genitor's name followed tho Z" Mao or tho "o."
I'm the early ages" writes DR.. Joyce. "fndividuais
received their names from epithets implying some
personal pecuinrities. such color OF hair. com
plexon, size. nsure, certain accidents Of doformty
mental qualities such a. bravery. nerceness. &C;
and we havo only to look at the old forms OF the
names to remove any doubt we may entertain OF the
truth Of this assertion"
Thus your own family name "conneii" Din Irish
Ua-Conam or OConaiD 10 derived from Conan
("Conall" Irish Jrt,ndshtp), who IL No. % on the
family pedigree. And thus, also. another Munster
family. "MacGlilcuddy" lin Irish, Mao Cola No
chodAd), 10 derived from GllieMochodh ("giolia ~:
rish. the devoted Of: "moch." early; -odh," gen.
'odba." mIs'ej. who IL No. li3 on that family pedt
gree. In time some members OF this nne old Irish
family changed the name to hcEih cudd, McElly.
cuddy. McEcole. McE.igot McEiIgott, hcEiigott,
Elliott Elliot, Eliot McKegoi. McEillgodd. Mcleod
McCloud. and ArchdeAcou, all of them Ignoring the
surname "MacGilllcuddy," the original AnElicised
form Of tho line old Irish sirname Mao cola No
chodha- In the list OF Irishmen who served in the
Spanish army In 1871, In the Res.msnto de Iantsra
de hbernia, was Irish or1cer Of the Eliot Z"
branch OF the Mac0ilicuddv family.
Dispossessed OF their patrlmonies by native faml
lies more powerful than their own. BY the Danish
or English Invasion, or by the Eiixaoethan or Crom
welIian connscat!ons In ireland. members OF some
ancient Irish families settled In Great Britain
the Continent, and there. from political. polemicsi
or other causes, translated or othersss disguised
the.r sirnames to avoid beins considered OF Irish
origin; while others OF pcop who may have re-
mained In ireland evaded In the AngciIed forms OF