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Scotland Naming Customs: Difference between revisions
A lot of material seems to have been removed from this page - Gaelic is also not a "Britannic" language, it's Goidelic
(A lot of material seems to have been removed from this page - Gaelic is also not a "Britannic" language, it's Goidelic) |
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*It should be noted that in the Celtic Church until surprisingly late, that '''churchmen and monks could marry''', hence the proliferation of names such as MacNab (Mac-an-Aba, son of the abbot). | *It should be noted that in the Celtic Church until surprisingly late, that '''churchmen and monks could marry''', hence the proliferation of names such as MacNab (Mac-an-Aba, son of the abbot). | ||
===Clan Names=== | ===Clan Names=== | ||
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===Bynames=== | ===Bynames=== | ||
'''Bynames, to-names, or other names''', were once very common in Scotland. These names were used in areas where there were few names in circulation, and '''the bynames were added onto the name of person, in order to distinguish them from others who bore the same name'''. Bynames were particularly prevalent in fishing communities in the '''northeastern part of Scotland, but were also used in the Borders and the West Highlands'''. In some cases within fishing communities, the names of fishing boats were tacked onto the names of people in order to differentiate them from others.<ref>"Scottish surnames", in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_surnames, accessed 19 February 2021.</ref> | '''Bynames, to-names, or other names''', were once very common in Scotland. These names were used in areas where there were few names in circulation, and '''the bynames were added onto the name of person, in order to distinguish them from others who bore the same name'''. Bynames were particularly prevalent in fishing communities in the '''northeastern part of Scotland, but were also used in the Borders and the West Highlands'''. In some cases within fishing communities, the names of fishing boats were tacked onto the names of people in order to differentiate them from others.<ref>"Scottish surnames", in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_surnames, accessed 19 February 2021.</ref> | ||
===Traditional pronunciation=== | |||
Many Scottish surnames have pronunciations which are traditional in Scotland. Sometimes these are reflected in phonetic spellings. Some of these have died out, or are currently being supplanted within Scotland itself. They may differ from American or English pronunciations: | |||
* Brown - "Broon" | |||
* Christie - "Krist-ee" (first "i" short) | |||
* Colquhoun - "Cahoon" or "Col-hoon" | |||
* Dalziel - "Die-yell" or "Day-ell" | |||
* Forbes - "Forbees" or "For bays" | |||
* Graham - "Gray-um" or "Grayhum" | |||
* Kerr - "Carr" | |||
* Lithgow - "Lith-goe" | |||
* MacKay - "Mac-Kye" | |||
* MacKean - "Mac-Kain" (now rare) | |||
* MacKenzie - "MacKinnie" or "Mackinyie" (now almost obsolete) | |||
* MacLean - "Mac-lane" | |||
* MacLeod - "Mac-loud" | |||
* Marjoribanks - "Marchbanks" | |||
* Menzies - "Mingis" | |||
* Moray - "Murray" | |||
* Muir - "Myoor" | |||
* Niven - "Neevin" | |||
* Reid - "Reed" | |||
* Urquhart - "Urkut" or "Urkurt" | |||
== Given Names == | == Given Names == | ||
*A significant percentage of traditional Scottish names have '''Gaelic origins''' | *A significant percentage of traditional Scottish names have '''Gaelic origins'''. | ||
*There are similarities between many Scottish and Irish given names. In the early part of the Middle Ages, the name pools in Gaelic Scotland and Ireland were more or less the same, since the Gaels came to Scotland from Ireland. Over time, the name pools diverged and some early Gaelic names that went out of fashion in one culture remained in fashion in the other. <ref>"Quick and Easy Gaelic Names", by Sharon L. Krossa, https://medievalscotland.org/scotnames/quickgaelicbynames/, accessed 19 February 2021.</ref> | *There are similarities between many Scottish and Irish given names. In the early part of the Middle Ages, the name pools in Gaelic Scotland and Ireland were more or less the same, since the Gaels came to Scotland from Ireland. Over time, the name pools diverged and some early Gaelic names that went out of fashion in one culture remained in fashion in the other. <ref>"Quick and Easy Gaelic Names", by Sharon L. Krossa, https://medievalscotland.org/scotnames/quickgaelicbynames/, accessed 19 February 2021.</ref> | ||
*In some parts of north west Scotland, women are often given the feminized forms of male names, e.g. Donaldina or Donalda, Angusina, Williamina. This used to be widespread in Scotland in the 19th century, but is now out of fashion. | *In some parts of north west Scotland, women are often given the feminized forms of male names, e.g. Donaldina or Donalda, Angusina, Williamina. This used to be widespread in Scotland in the 19th century, but is now out of fashion. Sometimes these names may provide a clue to the names of close male relatives. | ||
*In '''Orkney and Shetland''', many forenames have derivations from pet forms of '''Scandinavian names''', e.g. Rasmie derives from Erasmus. This is because Norn was spoken in these parts into the 18th and 19th centuries. | |||
*Roman Catholics will have confirmation names. These are often used as middle names, and may be used later in life, but will not necessarily appear in birth or Christening records. | |||
===Naming Patterns=== | ===Naming Patterns=== | ||
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*The seventh through tenth sons were named for their father's four great-grandfathers. | *The seventh through tenth sons were named for their father's four great-grandfathers. | ||
*The eleventh through fourteenth sons were named for their mother's four great-grandfathers. | *The eleventh through fourteenth sons were named for their mother's four great-grandfathers. | ||
According to Donald J. Steel in ''Sources for Scottish Genealogy and Family History, (Chichester, Sussex: Phillimore & CO. Ltd., 1970'', in National Index of Parish Registers Vol. 12, p 47) there are variations to the naming pattern described above. Sometimes the second son and daughter were named after the parents. Another variation is that the eldest son was named after the mother's father, the 2nd son after the father's father. The eldest daughter was named after the father's mother, and the 2nd daughter after the mother's mother and so on. | |||
*The first daughter was named for her mother's mother. | *The first daughter was named for her mother's mother. | ||
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*Titford, John . '''''Searching for Surnames: A Practical Guide to their Meanings and Origins'''''. Newbury, England: Countryside Books, 2002. (Family History Library book 942 D4tj.) This book discusses the meaning and origins of early surnames.{{WorldCat|50402654|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}} | *Titford, John . '''''Searching for Surnames: A Practical Guide to their Meanings and Origins'''''. Newbury, England: Countryside Books, 2002. (Family History Library book 942 D4tj.) This book discusses the meaning and origins of early surnames.{{WorldCat|50402654|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}} | ||
*[http://archive.org/stream/glossaryofdialec00hopeuoft#page/148/mode/2up '''"A List of Surnames Pronounced Differently from What the Spelling Suggests"''' ](1883)]<ref>Robert Charles Hope, ''A Glossary of Dialectal Place-nomenclature, To Which is Appended A List of Family Surnames Pronounced Differently from What the Spelling Suggests'' (London: Simpkin, Marshall, 1883). </ref> | *[http://archive.org/stream/glossaryofdialec00hopeuoft#page/148/mode/2up '''"A List of Surnames Pronounced Differently from What the Spelling Suggests"''' ](1883)]<ref>Robert Charles Hope, ''A Glossary of Dialectal Place-nomenclature, To Which is Appended A List of Family Surnames Pronounced Differently from What the Spelling Suggests'' (London: Simpkin, Marshall, 1883). </ref> | ||
== See also == | |||
*[[Guild of One-Name Studies]] | |||
*[[Ireland Names Personal]] | |||
*[[Isle of Man Names Personal]] | |||
== External Links == | |||
*http://surnames.behindthename.com/ | |||
*http://www.behindthename.com/ | |||
== References == | == References == | ||