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The Little book of

Celtic Names Loreto To d d

First published 2013 by The O’Brien Press Ltd., 12 Terenure Road East, Rathgar, Dublin 6, Ireland Tel: +353 1 4923333; Fax: +353 1 4922777 Material for this book was first published within a longer text in Celtic Names for Children, Loreto Todd, first published by The O’Brien Press 1998. Copyright for text: Loreto Todd. ISBN: 978-1-84717-329-4 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocoying, recording or otherwise without prior permission from the publisher. British Library Cataloguing-in-publication Data A catalogue record for this title is available from The British Library 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Printed and bound in Poland by Białostockie Zakłady Graficzne S.A. The paper in this book is produced using pulp from managed forests

The Celts The Celts were once found all over

Insular Celtic seems to have reached

Europe, from the Black Sea in the east

western Europe in two waves. The

to Ireland in the west, from south-

Goidelic (later Gaelic) Celts reached

west Spain and southern Italy through

Ireland around the fourth century BC

Switzerland and up as far north as

and this form of Celtic spread to the

Denmark. The Greeks called them

Isle of Man and Scotland. A second

Keltoi and evidence of their existence

group, the Brythonic Celts, con-

can be traced back to the fifth cen-

quered and settled in parts of England,

tury BC. The Celts were known by

including Cornwall and Devon, and

different names in different areas: Galli

into Wales and Brittany. These groups

or Gauls in France and parts of Italy,

spoke different varieties of Celtic.

Galatae in the Balkans and Asia Minor, Celtiberi in Spain.

The Celtic languages have all suffered serious decline, especially since

Apart from inscriptions found in

the seventeenth century. The last

various parts of Europe, most of our

mother-tongue speakers of Cornish

knowledge of the Celtic family of lan-

died in the nineteenth century; the

guages comes from what has become

last mother-tongue speaker of Manx

known as Insular Celtic, that is, the

Gaelic in the 1970s. There are per-

name given to the varieties found in

haps a million people who know

Brittany and the British Isles.

some Breton but only a fraction of

this number speak it fluently. Another

or Ap + Hugh, resulting in the blends

two million speakers know Gaelic, in

Parry and Pugh. In Ireland, only the

its Irish, Scottish and Cape Breton

prefixes Mac (son) and Ó (descendant)

(Nova Scotian) forms, but perhaps

are widespead, although the feminine

only 200,000 speak it regularly and

form Ní, or Nic (daughter), is occa-

for most purposes. Welsh is probably

sionally used as in Siubhan Ní Dhuib-

the most vital of the Celtic languages,

hir (daughter of Duibhir).

having as many as half a million reg-

In choosing a child’s first name, par-

ular users, including some speakers

ents often say something about their

in Patagonia (Argentina) where 150

hopes, their dreams, their aspirations.

Welsh people settled in 1865.

Sometimes, there is an association with God, as in the Hebrew Samuel (asked

Naming

of God), or the Greek Dorothy (gift of

Worldwide, naming has always been

God); often there is a link with love,

culturally significant and we often

as in the French-derived Amy (loved

assume, incorrectly, that the system of

one), the Latin Alma (loving, kind), or

first name(s) followed by a surname

the Lamso Bongcong (it is good to

is universal. Surnames tend to be

love). Parents have found inspiration,

placed first in China and West Africa

especially for their daughters, in nature

where, for example, Djou Dun Ren or

– Daisy, Fern and Hyacinth; in jewels

Mbagwa Mary would be referred to in

– Beryl, Jade and Pearl; in months of

English as Mr Djou and Mrs Mbagwa.

the year – Avril, April, May and June;

Surnames were not universal in the

and they have perhaps indulged in

Celtic-speaking communities until

wishful thinking in the selection of

the nineteenth century when Ap and

virtues such as Constance, Felicity or

Mac meaning ‘son’ were often used

Prudence.The spectrum of colours has

so that, in Wales, the son of Harry or

provided Blanche (white), Rory (red)

Hugh might have become Ap + Harry

and Suneel (dark blue); places have

given us Francis (man of France), Kirk

these are the easy ones! Even within

(near the church) or Neville (new

Ireland, there were several dialects,

town); and aspects of warfare have pro-

each with its own sound preferences,

vided a range of names, especially for

each with its own pet forms, some

sons, including Alexander (defender),

using a length mark or fada, others

Edgar (rich spear) and Finlay (fair-

leaving the vowel unmarked. In addi-

haired warrior).

tion, many of the names were recorded in Latin or French or English as well

Spelling and pronunciation

as Irish, thus providing a wide range

Many names have several spellings

of choice for parents and a nightmare

and a variety of pronunciations. The

for the dictionary maker. Some names

Irish forms of Catherine and John, for

have been adopted – and adapted –

example, may occur as Caitlín, Caitlin,

worldwide. Kevin, for example, has

Caitríona, Cathleen, Kathleen; Caitlin

travelled widely from its origin as

may be pronounced as ‘kotch+leen’ or

Caoimhín (beautiful birth) and was,

‘kot+leen’ or ‘koit+leen’ or ‘kate+leen’

for example, one of the ten most pop-

or ‘kate+linn’, and John as Seán, or

ular names for African American boys

Séan, Shaun, Shawn or Shane. And

in 1982.

USING THIS BOOK • The book is divided into Girls’ Names and Boys’ Names. • Names are entered in alphabetical order under the most frequentlyused spelling. • Variant spellings and versions are then listed according to popularity, thus not necessarily in alphabetical order. • Some names may be listed under different letters, eg C and K, if commonly spelt with either initial letter. • The most widely used pronunciations are given. • A short history and/or interpretation of the name is given.

Girls' Names

A Adaryn, Aderyn

tury queen of the Isle of Man was called Africa or Africah. This name

(‘add+er+in’)

was certainly inspired by the con-

This Welsh name comes from

tinent but probably reinforced by

Welsh aderyn, meaning ‘bird’, and

the Gaelic word fíoreach, meaning

suggests a person who is not held

‘noble’. The form Aifric is Gaelic

back by earthly restrictions.

and has been used in Scotland.

Aela (‘ale+a’) This Breton name is the feminine

Aibhlínn, Eibhlínn (‘I’ve+leen’), Ava

form of Ael and seems to be related

It seems likely that the Normans

to words for ‘ardour’ or ‘rampart’.

took the name Aveline to Britain and Ireland. It developed several

Aelwen

forms, including Aibhilín, Eveleen,

This name can be Breton, Cornish

Eveline, Evelyn and Evelyne. The

or Welsh. It means ‘fair of brow’.

name Aveline probably means

A broad brow was once associated

‘longed-for child’ and it may be

with beauty.

the partial source of Ava.

Aerona, Aeronwen

Aibreán, Aibreann

Both of these names come from

(‘ab+rawn’)

the Welsh areon, meaning ‘berries’.

This is the Gaelic form of the month ‘April’ and is sometimes

Africa, Africah, Aifric (‘aff+rick’) Records suggest that a twelfth-cen8

used as a girl’s name.

Aideen (‘ay+deen’)

derived from the island Ailsa Craig

In Irish stories Aideen is related

or ‘rock island’, which is in the

to Aedh and Aidan in its mean-

Firth of Clyde.

ing of ‘fire’. Aideen was the wife of Cool, and when Oscar was killed

Áine(‘awe’ + ‘nia’ like the ending of ‘Sonia’), Annie

in battle she died of a broken heart.

Most people assume that this is

Oscar, a grandson of Fionn Mac-

an Irish form of Anne or Hannah,

Aileen, Ailene (‘ay+leen’)

meaning ‘God has favoured me’,

These are two of the many variants

but it is, in fact, an old Irish name

of Helen found in Ireland, Scot-

meaning ‘brightness, luminosity’

land and the Isle of Man. Helen

and could originally be used for

comes from Greek helios, ‘sun’, and

either a male or a female. Áine may

suggests ‘sunbeam, ray of sunshine’.

have been a fertility goddess. She was traditionally associated with

Ailis, Ailish (‘ale+ish’ or

generosity and Áines are supposed

‘isle+ish’)

to be lucky in love and with money.

This is the Irish form of a name brought to Ireland by the Nor-

Ainslee, Ainsley, Ainslie

mans as Alice and Alicia.The name

Ainsley was originally most fre-

is probably a variant of Adelaide,

quently found in Scotland but

adal,

is now popular elsewhere too. It

coming

from

Germanic

‘noble, well born’ and heid, ‘kind’.

Ailsa (‘ale+sa’) This Scottish name is probably

is probable that the first syllable comes from Gaelic aon, meaning ‘one’, and that the second syllable may be from laoi, ‘poem’. 9

Aislin, Aislinn, Aisling, Ashling (‘ash+ling’)

Almeda

Derives from the Gaelic word

popular, especially for girls born

aisling ‘dream, vision’ and has

in August. It is possible that it is

become popular in Ireland, Eng-

a modified form of Latin alma,

land and the USA. Its modern use

‘kind’, influenced

is restricted to girls.

‘worthy of love’.

Alana, Alanna, Alannah (‘al+an+na’)

Almha (‘alva’), Alva, Alvag

This name derives from the Gaelic

Almha was an Irish goddess

term of endearment a leanbh

renowned for her strength and

(child), although it is sometimes

prowess. The meaning of the name

thought to be the feminine form

is not certain although it may be

of Alan and is found in all parts of

a form of albha, ‘medication’. It

the Celtic world.

seems to have been influenced by

Aleine (‘a+lane’)

This Breton name is becoming

amanda,

Latin alma, ‘kind, nourishing’.

This form of Helen, meaning

Amena, Amina, Amine

‘sunbeam’, is sometimes writ-

These variants are from a Celtic

ten Eleyne. It was the name of

root meaning ‘honest, utterly pure’.

Sir Gawain’s niece. Aleine loved

They are similar to the Arabic

Sir Perceval and was instrumental

name Amena, meaning ‘aspiration’,

in his becoming a Knight of the

and may also have been influenced

Round Table.

by Amen, meaning ‘so be it’.

Andrea, Andi

Lír and the mother of the four

These are feminine forms of

children who were turned into

Greek Andreas (Andrew), meaning

swans by Lír’s second wife. The

‘brave, manly, virile’. St Andrew is

name is frequently equated with

the patron saint of Scotland.

the biblical Eve, which probably comes from Hebrew chava, ‘life’.

Aneira Aneira is related to the Welsh noun anrhydedd, meaning ‘honour’.

Angharad (‘an+har+rid’) This Welsh name is probably related to both cariad, ‘love’ and cerydd, ‘reproach’ and suggests ‘without reproach’.

Anwen (‘an+win’) There are many Breton, Cornish and Welsh names that include a form of the adjective gwen, ‘fair, white’.This one suggests ‘very fair’.

Aobh, Aoibh (‘eve’ or ‘ave’) Aobh’s name comes from Gaelic aobh, meaning ‘beauty, radiance’, and she was the first wife of King

Aobhnaid, Aobhnait (‘eve+nidge’ or ‘eve+nitch’)

Aoibheann, Aoibhinn (‘ay+von’, ‘eve+een’ or ‘eve+in’) This name is often interpreted as ‘little Eve’. It comes, however, from Irish Gaelic aoibhinn, meaning ‘of radiant beauty’, and has a related form in Aobhnaid or Aobhnait. The name is sometimes anglicised as Eavan.

Aoibhel(l) (‘ee+fell’) This name comes from aoibheall, meaning ‘joyful, beautiful’. Aoibhel was an Irish spirit woman who played the harp so beautifully that anyone who heard the music died from utter joy. 11