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Greetings,
You wrote to us asking about the names Anoth MacAnnawyn, Caol Crisdean
MacIain, and An Naoimh. Here is the information we found about the meaning
and history of Anoth MacAnnawyn. (The information we found about the other
names will be sent seperately.)
Unfortunately we couldn't find any examples of "Anoth", or anything
particularly close to it in either spelling or pronunciation. Thus we can't
tell you, one way or the other, whether it was an historical Scottish given
name.
"MacAnnawyn", especially with the meaning you had been told ("son of the
afterworld/netherworld.") looks like it is being confused with "Annwn", the
Welsh legendary underworld. This could mean it is a modern "folk etymology"
of a corruption of some other name. That is, an explanation of the meaning
of a name based on what it reminds people of today, rather than its actual
original meaning and etymology. It is completely improbable that the name
is actually "Mac Annwn", since "Mac" is a Gaelic name element, while
"Annwn" is Welsh, and Gaelic and Welsh do not normally mix.
It could be that such a folk etymology is somehow related to the Scottish
Gaelic word "ne\amh", plural "ne\amhan", which means "1. heaven, firmament,
the skies 2. The abode of bliss". [1] In some dialects "ne\amhan" might be
pronounced similarly to 'nawyn'. However, "son of the heavens" would be
"mac nan ne\amhan" in modern Scottish Gaelic, which has one more N sound
than "MacAnnawyn", while "a son of heavens" would be "mac ne\amhan", which
has one less A sound than "MacAnnawyn", so the fit is not exact.
Patronymics were usually formed either from one's father's given name ("Mac
Eoin", i.e. "son of John"), or one's father's occupation ("Mac an
ta\illeir", i.e., "son of the tailor"). So, since an historical byname
meaning "son of the afterworld/netherworld" would be unlikely, we tried to
find a normal patronymic that might have given a pronunciation similar to
"MacAnnawyn". In Black [2] we found examples of "MacAneduff" (Mac Eoin
Dubh) and "MacAnemoyll/M'Anevoill" (Mac Eoin Moil/Mhoil), which leads to
speculation that there could have been a patronymic "Mac Eoin Bhain" (i.e.,
"son of White John") which could lead to a pronunciation like "MacAnnawyn".
Keep in mind that we are just speculating about what "MacAnnawyn" could
mean and could have been derived from. We can't give you a certain answer,
since we haven't found any other examples of the name, and also because we
are working from a name remembered in your family, it would appear, for
many generations, and we have no way of knowing how much it was changed
over those generations, nor for how many generations it has been remembered
only by non-Gaelic-speakers.
Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn and myself researched this letter.
We hope this has been helpful. If we can be of further assistance, please
let us know.
In service,
Effric Neyn Kenyeoch Vc Ralte
Academy of S. Gabriel
[1] Dwelly, Edward, compiler, _The Illustrated Gaelic-English Dictionary_
(Glasgow: Gairm Publications, 1977) s.v. "Ne\amh".
[2] Black, George F., _The Surnames of Scotland_ (Edinburgh: Birlinn, 1993)
s.v. "MacAneduff" and "MacAnemoyll".