ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1465 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1465 ************************************ 23 Feb 1999 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether is an appropriate name for an Irishman living between 1450 and 1600. Here is what we have found. is an English spelling (and also an early-medieval Gaelic spelling) of the Gaelic name , which was pronounced roughly \FYUN\ in your period [1]. The modern surname may have two independent origins. First, it is an English surname, derived from a place in Cornwall. It appears in 1176 in the name , in 1590 as , and in 1615 as [2, 8]. Some families with this surname settled in Ireland, carrying the name with them. Second, it may be a modern English spelling of the Gaelic patronymic . A patronymic is a surname that identifies someone as his father's child. In Gaelic culture in our period, both men and women were primarily known by patronymic bynames. The derivation of from this root is rather dubious, but whether or not it's correct, is an appropriate surname for a man of your period. It means "son of Giolla Garbh", where is a man's given name. It appears in English records around 1600 in the spelling [4]. A 15th or 16th century Irish Gael named whose father's given name was would have been known as , pronounced something like \FYUN mahk GYULL-@ GAR-@v\. The symbol \@\ represents a schwa, the sound of the 'a' in or . Alternatively, it is possible, but not likely, that a late-period descendent of an Anglo-Irish family could have been named . Irish families with English surnames appear to have rarely used Irish-origin first names. If it did happen, the English spelling of the name might have been or early in your period, , , or later [5, 6, 7]. We hope this letter has been useful. Please write us again if any part of it has been unclear or if you have other questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Talan Gwynek and Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 23 Feb 1999 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] O/ Corra/in, Donnchadh and Fidelma Maguire, _Irish Names_ (Dublin: The Lilliput Press, 1990), s.n. Finn. [2] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.n. Killigrew. [3] MacLysaght, Edward, _The Surnames of Ireland_ (Dublin: Irish Academic Press Ltd., 1985, ISBN 0-7165-2366-3), s.n. (Mac) Kilgrew. [4] Woulfe, Patrick, _Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames_ (Kansas City: Irish Genealogical Foundation), s.n. Mac Giolla Ghairbh. [5] Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, 'Names and Naming Practices in the Fitzwilliam Accounts from 16th Century Ireland', Proceedings of the Known World Heraldic Symposium, Tir Ysgithr, AS XXXIII (Tucson, 1998), pp. 151-158. [6] Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, 'Names and Naming Practices in the Red Book of Ormond (Ireland 14th Century)', Proceedings of the Known World Heraldic Symposium, Tir Ysgithr, AS XXXIII (Tucson, 1998), pp. 135-149. [7] O/ Clerigh, Lughaidh, _Beatha Aodha Ruaidh Ui/ Dhomhnaill -- Life of Hugh Roe O'Donnell_ ed. Paul Walsh (Irish Texts Society, 1948). [8] Bardsley, Charles, _A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames_ (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1980), s.n. Killigrew.