Correct spelling for Irish names

Teerah · 15-09-2015 1:59pm #1

Hi folks,

we are expecting twin girls any day now and would like some assistance with spelling please.

We are almost definite on Abigail and Darcy but want to check the correct Irish spelling,

Is it Aibigéal and Darcy?

There are a number of variations of Darcy to be found, which is the accepted Irish girl name variant?

Many thanks in advance

BarraOG · 15-09-2015 4:17pm

The name is Abaigeal in Irish and there is no fada just like in the word Gaeltacht.

Darcy is derived from the Irish word dorcha (dark). Don't know more than that though.

Best of luck!!!

An Riabhach · 15-09-2015 8:57pm

In the book An Sloinnteoir Gaeilge Agus An tAinmneoir,the name Gobnait is listed as the Irish version of Abigail,while the book Irish First Names has it listed as Abaigeal.

The latter book I mentioned lists the names Darcy/Darkey as starting out as a surname in the 14th century and was then adopted as a first name,more commonly male.
Surname-Ó Dorchaí
First Name-Dorchaidhe

heldel00 · 15-09-2015 9:03pm

An Riabhach would you mind answering a question for me?

I am trying to fill in leabhar rolla at school and I see that the surname "king" is listed as "Mac an Rí". Would this not be McHenry?

Dial Hard · 15-09-2015 9:22pm

heldel00 wrote:

I am trying to fill in leabhar rolla at school and I see that the surname "king" is listed as "Mac an RÃ". Would this not be McHenry?

No, the direct translation is "Son of [the] King".

heldel00 · 15-09-2015 9:27pm

So MIchéal Mac an Rí for Michael King is correct?
The resource ive used before also has O'Cionga listed. That just sounds makey uppy to me!

An Riabhach · 15-09-2015 9:37pm

Ó Cionga is listed in the first book I mentioned as Irish for "King",believe it or not!!

Heldel,can I ask you if you,or will you,have anyone named Jason on the roll list?

Dial Hard · 15-09-2015 10:16pm

heldel00 wrote:

So MIchÃ©al Mac an RÃ for Michael King is correct? The resource ive used before also has O'Cionga listed. That just sounds makey uppy to me!

I'm no expert but Ã“ Cionga may have been anglicised to King somewhere along the line. Happened a lot to Irish names/placenames. And the reverse happens, where English names are directly translated back into Irish.

Dublin being a prime example.

heldel00 · 16-09-2015 5:25pm

An Riabhach wrote: »

Ó Cionga is listed in the first book I mentioned as Irish for "King",believe it or not!!

Heldel,can I ask you if you,or will you,have anyone named Jason on the roll list?

No not at the minute but that's not to say I never will. Tell on ...

An Riabhach · 16-09-2015 6:57pm

heldel00 wrote: »

No not at the minute but that's not to say I never will. Tell on ...

I just asked you that in order to let you know that the Irish for Jason is Iasan.
(pronounced "EEaSon".)
I myself would often add a fada,i.e Iasán,simply because I prefer the pronunciation "EEaSawn" for my own name.
There is also Iasón,but that would be more the biblical Irish version.

Im just mentioning this because it is commonly incorrectly said that "there is no Irish for Jason....",and I have also seen people wrongly use "Deasún" and "Seasún",with the former being the Irish for Desmond,and the latter being just a horrible mistake.

heldel00 · 16-09-2015 7:52pm

Our principal has a book on his desk for the past 40 years that is falling apart at the seams but it has always been the go to for the names. We just blow the dust off it each Sept.
It has king listed as O'Cionga though which still doesn't seem right to me. As state earlier Mac An Ri /Nic An Rí seems less makey uppy

dubhthach · 18-09-2015 7:13am

King particulary in west of Ireland is generally an angliscation of Mac Conraoi, here's extract from Woulfe (1923):

Mac CONRAOI—IV—M'Conrie, M'Conry, Mac-an-Ree, Conree, Cunree, Conry, Conroy, and, by 'translation,' King; 'son of Cúraoi' (hound of the plain, or of battle); the name of a family, said to be of Dalcassian origin, who were anciently lords of Dealbna Thire-da-locha, in the barony of Moycullen, between Loch Corrib and Galway Bay, where they are still numerous. The name was also common in Kerry and Limerick; but both in Munster and Connacht it is now usually mistranslated King, owing to the erroneous belief that it is derived from 'rígh,' a king, and that the Irish form is Mac an Ríogh, 'son of the king.'

So Mac Conraoi -> King -> Mac an Rí(ogh) was been noted back in 1923, if that's case Mac an Rí could be technically regarded as Béarlachas

(sort of like how Uisce Beatha -> Whiskey -> Fuisce

)

Other entries in Woulfe

Ó CIONGA—I or II—O Kenga, O Kinga, King; a variant of Ó Cingeadh, which see.
--
Ó CINGEADH—I—O Kinga, O King, King; 'descendant of Cingeadh' (valiant). This surname belonged chiefly to Westmeath, Offaly, Galway and Clare. Also written Ó Cionga, which see.

Mac CONRIAIN—IV—Cunreen, King; 'son of Cú-Riain' (Rian's hound); extremely rare; sometimes 'translated' King on the erroneous supposition that it is derived from 'rígh,' a king. Compare with Mac Conraoi

heldel00 · 18-09-2015 1:27pm

Thank you so much Dubhthach. It's looking like O'Cionga is the official way to go.

dubhthach · 18-09-2015 1:49pm

heldel00 wrote: »

Thank you so much Dubhthach. It's looking like O'Cionga is the official way to go.

Well or Mac Conraoi, I would think most King's in Ireland who are of "Gaelic stock" were probably Mac Conraoi

If we look at Griffith survey's it's fairly obviously that Galway has highest concentration of "King's" with more than 1/6th of total households recorded:

http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/surname/index.cfm?fuseaction=Go.&Surname=King&UserID=

Correct spelling for Irish names

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