ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1537 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1537 ************************************ 30 Mar 1999 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether is a suitable name for a Scotsman living between 1300 and 1450. Here is what we have found. >From the late 14th century onward, there were two main languages spoken in Scotland: Gaelic, spoken in the Highlands, and Scots, spoken in the Lowlands, including the royal court and towns. Gaelic is the same language spoken in Ireland at this time; Scots is closely related to contemporary English. Names were formed quite differently in the two languages, and the two styles of naming did not mix. Therefore, the culture you choose for your persona will determine how your name should be constructed. (more often ) is anglicized form of the Irish masculine names , , and possibly also . These were the names of several early saints. (The slash represents an sharp accent on the preceding vowel.) The first two of these names are correctly pronounced \KILL-yeen\, the last [1]. We found these names in Ireland, but not in Scotland. Since Gaelic was the common language of both countries at this time, it's not impossible that they were also used in Scotland, but we can't be sure. In Ireland, the anglicized form might have been used in English records late in our period. is an English form of any of several Irish and Scottish Gaelic place names based on the Gaelic word "rock". In Scotland, the surname derives from the district of that name in Ayrshire. We found the name in various English and Scots spellings: 1279, 1320, 1372, 1429, 1462 [2, 3, 4]. The surname was carried to Ireland by Norman settlers, but may also have arisen separately there. is a name by which a late-period Irishman or possibly a Gaelic-speaking Scotsman might have been identified in English or in Scots. However, this name couldn't have been used in Gaelic: Gaelic names almost never identify a man by the place where he lives, and English spellings were not used in Gaelic. In Gaelic, Cille/ne the son of Domhnall would have been known as . If you're interested in a Gaelic name, we recommend you read these two articles on our websites: Scottish Names 101 http://www.stanford.edu/~skrossa/medievalscotland/scotnames/scotnames101.html]. Quick and Easy Gaelic Bynames http://www.stanford.edu/~skrossa/medievalscotland/scotnames/quickgaelicbynames/ 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. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 30 Mar 1999 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] O/ Corra/in, Donnchadh and Fidelma Maguire, _Irish Names_ (Dublin: The Lilliput Press, 1990). [2] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.n. Carrick. [3] Black, George F., _The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning and History_, (New York: The New York Public Library, 1986), s.n. Carrick. [4] Room, Adrian, _Dictionary of Irish Place-Names_ (Belfast: Appletree Press, 1994), s.n. Carrick.