Leabhar Ó Luasaigh
Chapter 7: A MISCELLANY
 

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Christian names
Having devoted so many pages to a surname, it would be remiss to completely ignore other given or Christian names, especially considering that many (if not most) Irish surnames have derived from given or first names. In the older records written in English, unexpected first names sometimes occur - this is often the result of a clerk searching his vocabulary for an English equivalent to a Gaelic name. Equivalence was frequently based on phonetics rather than meaning, and sometimes imagination was also required. This process became more wide spread after the introduction of the National Schools in 1833, where English was taught, and students learned to be ashamed of their origins.

Many names of course, have been derived from the Bible, and they have closer correlations in the two languages; in a similar way, French names have also been adopted in both countries, and are readily translated. However, any translation of names from one language to another will often produce unexpected results.

Some Gaelic names are listed below, along with their English "equivalents." As in English, there are also alternative spellings for Gaelic names, and those listed below are a small selection only.

GAELIC ENGLISH:
Gobnat  Gail Gobinet Abigail
Aine  Hannah  Anna  Anne  
Brian    Bernard    
Uaithne  Antaine  Anthony    
Concobhar  Connor  Cornelius  Nelius  
Dainéal  Donal  Daniel    
Dáibhí  Dahy  David    
Diarmauid  Dermot  Jeremiah  Jerome  Darby
Dónal  Domhnall  Daniel  Donald   
Donnchadh  Donagh  Denis  Donat  Duncan
Eibhlin    Eileen  Aileen  
Eoin Seán  John    
Eoghain    Eugene    
Garrett  Gearalt  Gerald  Gerard  
Séamus  James  (Jacob)    
Katherine  Catraoine  Catherine    
Luighseach  Lucia  Lucy    
Maighread  Mairéad  Margaret    
Máire  (Muire)  Mary    
Michel  Mícheál  Michael    
Honora  Nóra  Honor  Hannah  Nora
Pádraig    Patrick    
Peadar    Peter    
Risteard    Richard    
Sailbheastar    Sylvester    
Sinéad    Jane    
Síle  Sheila  Cecilia  Julia  
Siobhán  Susan  Judith  Joan   
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September, 1999
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