5. _Lassarina_, also, though in use not long since, has latterly became
obsolete.
6. _Meadhbh_, pronounced Meave. This is still preserved and anglicised
Maud, Mab, and Mabby; and the writer is acquainted with several old
women of the Milesian race who still retain it. This was the name of a
celebrated queen of Connaught, who flourished in the first century, and
who is now known in the legends of the mountainous districts of Ireland
as the queen of the fairies. From this country her spirit found way into
Scotland, and thence into the north of England, where Shakspeare met
with her, but in rather too diminutive a form for the shade of the Irish
heroine.
7. _Mor_, pronounced More. The writer believes that there are a few women
of this name still living in Ireland; but he is confident that there are
but very few, though it was the name of many honourable ladies in the
reign of Queen Elizabeth, and for a century later. In our own times,
however, it has been almost invariably anglicised Mary, with which it is
neither synonymous nor cognate.
8. _Sadhbh_, pronounced Soyv, is the name of several women of the old
Irish races, and who are known to the writer. It is now almost invariably
anglicised Sally, to which it bears no analogy.
9. _Sorcha_ is still the name of several women in Ireland, especially in
the province of Ulster; but the rising generation are beginning to object
to it as being too Irish, and are determined on having it changed to
Sarah or Sally. The writer is acquainted with families in whom this name
is hereditary, and among whom the mother is always called Sorcha, and the
daughter Sally; and though the latter knows that her own and her mother’s
name are the same, still would she blush to hear her own name pronounced
_Sorcha_. The name Sorcha signifies clear, bright, and might be well
rendered Lucy or _Lucinda_; but we should like to see it preserved in
its primitive form, which is not to be despised either for its sound or
signification.
10. _Una._ This name is still in constant use among the women of Ireland,
but when speaking English, they invariably anglicise it to Winifred or
Winny.
The writer is not aware that any other name which was in use in the
ancient Irish time is now retained, except the foregoing.
The names Catherine, Evlin, Eleanor, Isabella, Mary, Honora, Sheela
(Celia), and many others now in use, and supposed to be of Irish origin,
do not occur in the Account of Remarkable Women above referred to, and
there is no reason to believe that they were ever in use in ancient
Ireland.
The following is a list of curious names of women which occur in the
authentic annals and in the History of Remarkable Women. It is highly
probable that a few of them are of Danish origin:--
1. Aevin, _i. e._ Amoena; 2, Africa; 3, Albi and Albin; 4, Allin; 5,
Alma, all good; 6, Alphin; 7, Athracta. This name has been restored by
the Mac Dermott of Coolavin. 8, Barduv, blackhaired; 9, Bebail, woman of
prosperity; 10, Bebin, melodious woman; 11, Blanaid, Florinda, from blath,
a blossom; 12, Brigh, vigour; 13, Cacht, bondmaid; 14, Cailleach-De,
_i. e._ female servant of God; 15, Cailleach-Kevin, the female servant
of St Kevin; 16, Cailleach-Aengus, the female servant of St Aengus; 17,
Caintigern, fair lady; 18, Keara, the ruddy; 19, Cochrand; 20, Covfla,
_i. e._ Victoria; 21, Coca; 22, Corcar, the ruddy; 23, Crea; 24, Devnet;
25, Derval, the true request; 26, Derforgal, the true pledge, latinized
Dervorgilla; 27, Dianiv and Diniv; 28, Dechter; 29, Derdrè, alarm; 30,
Dorenn, the sullen; 31, Duv-Covfla, victoria nigra; 32, Duvessa, nigra
nutrix; 33, Dunsa, the brown-haired; 34, Dunlah, lady of the fort; 35,
Edwina; 36, Eithné; 37, Elbrigh; 38, Emeria; 39, Eri; 40, Essa, nutrix;
41, Euginia, female of Eogan; 42, Fedilmi, the over-good; 43, Finbil,
the white blossom; 44, Findelv, fair countenance; 45, Finnavor, of the
fair eye-lids; 46, Finni, the comely; 47, Finscoh, the fair flower; 48,
Findah, the fair colour; 49, Flanna, the ruddy; 50, Gelgés, swan-white;
51, Gemlorg, gem-like; 52, Gnahat; 53, Gobnet, female of Gobban; 54,
Gormlah, the blue lady; 55, Ida, the just; 56, Lann; 57, Lasser, a flame;
58, Lasserina, flame or blush of the wine; 59, Lerthan; 60, Lithan; 61,
Luanmasi, beautiful as the moon; 62, Ligach, pearly, or like a precious
stone; 63, Maelmaiden, servant of the morning; 64, Mongfin, of the fair
hair; 65, Moncha, the same as Monica; 66, Murgel, the fair one of the
sea; 67, Murrin, crinita, or of the long hair; 68, Neave, effulgence;
69, Orlah, or Orflah, the golden lady; 70, Ranalt, female of Randal;
71, Ronat, female of Ronan; 72, Saraid, the excellent; quere, the
same as Sarah? 73, Selvlah, lady of possessions; 74, Shimah, the good
tranquillity; 75, Sodelva, of the goodly aspect; 76, So-Domina, the good
lady; 77, Temar, the conspicuous; 78, Talilah, quere Dalilah? 79, Tindi,
the tender; 80, Tressi, strength; 81, Tualah, the noble lady; 82, Uailsi,
the proud; 83, Uaisli, the gentle; 84, Uallach, the proud; 85, Uchdelva,
of the fair breast; 86, Unchi, the contentious.
We have now seen the process by which the Irish people have assimilated
their names and surnames to those of the English, and the reasons which
have led them to do so. I would not so much regret their having done so,
if I were not aware that some of the families who have thus anglicised
their names wish to conceal their Irish origin, as if they were ashamed
of their ancestors and country, and that another result of these changes
must soon be, that statistical writers will be apt to infer from the
small number of ancient Irish surnames retained in Ireland, that all the
old Irish race were supplanted by the English.
I shall close these notices of the surnames of the Irish people by a
remark which I should wish to be universally believed, namely--That no
ancient Irish surname is perfect unless it has either O or Mac prefixed,
excepting in those instances where the soubriquet or cognomen of the
ancestor is used as the surname, as Cavanagh, &c., and, accordingly, that
nine-tenths of the surnames at present borne by the Irish people are
incorrect, as being mere mutilations of their original forms.
“Per Mac atque O, tu veros cognoscis Hibernos
His duobus demptis, nullus Hibernus adest:
By Mac and O
You’ll surely know
True Irishmen alway;
But if they lack
Both O and Mac,
No Irishmen are they.”
The truth of this well-known distich may now be questioned, though it was
correct a few centuries since.
It is but natural to suppose that a conquered people should look upon
themselves as inferior to their conquerors; and this rage for adopting
English surnames which prevails at present, is, in the opinion of the
writer, a clear proof of the prevalence of this feeling, that the Irish
consider themselves inferior to the English. Spenser, while he advises
that the Irish be compelled to reject their O’s and Macs, and to adopt
English surnames, dissuades his own countrymen from adopting Irish ones,
as some of them had done, in the following words, which the writer, being
as Irish as Spenser was English, now adopts as his own:--“Is it possible
that any should so farre growe out of frame, that they should in so short
space, quite forget their countrey and their own names! that is a most
dangerous lethargie, much worse than that of Messala Corvinus, who being
a most learned man, thorough sickness forgat his own name.”--_State of
Ireland, Dub. ed. p. 107._