Hibernicis Ipsis Hibeniores John Ryan Note on the Introduction of Surnames
Hibernicis ipsis Hibeniores John Ryan Note on the Introduction of Surnames. It is probable that in very early times, in Ireland as elsewhere, one name only was borne. A man would be distinguished by a soubriquet—Nuadu Airgetlam, “ Nuadu of the Silver Hand” ; Cuscraid Menn, “ Cuscraid the Stammerer” ; or by a patronymic : Curoi mac Daire, “ Curoi son of Daire” ; Cormac mac Airt, “ Cormac son of Art,” etc. From the beginning of Christianity or earlier, to about A.D. 700, another system was common in Ireland. This consisted in prefixing moccu (a word whose derivation is unknown) to a sept name, e.g., Dubthech moccu Lugáir (one of St. Patrick’s first con- verts) ; Miliucc moccu Buain (St. Patrick’s master) ; Muirchu moccu Mactheni (his biographer). After 700 the older system—mac, “ son,” in its literal sense, and descriptive epithets added to personal names—seems to have been revived, and to have prevailed until the new surnames were introduced more than two centuries later. These arose when the son (mac) or the grandson (ó,alsoin the alternat-ive form ua since the seventh century) adopted as his distinguishing appellation the name of the pro-genitor to whom he bore that relation, whilst descendants henceforth kept the same term, though in fact neither sons nor grandsons of the persons whose names they bore. Thus Mac Cárthaigh (from Cárthach, who died in 1045), O Néill (from Niall Glundubh, died 919), O Briain (from Brian Bórumha, died 1014). A short list of the leading families in the different states may here be given :— Ailech.—Cenél Eoghain ; O Lochlainn or Mac Lochlainn (chief family to 1241) ; O Néill (chief family after 1241).
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