ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2106
http://www.s-gabriel.org/2106
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2 Oct 2000
From:  (Josh Mittleman)


Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!

You asked our help choosing an authentic Irish Gaelic woman's name.  You
asked about the given names <Ceara> and <Tessa> and the clan name
<Eochaga/in>.  (The slash in a name represents an acute accent mark on the
preceding letter.)  Here is what we have found.

The Gaelic name <Cera> is found in early medieval Irish records, before
1200 [1].  Gaelic spelling underwent a change around the year 1200, and
this name was spelled <Ceara> in the later system.  However, we're not sure
the name remained in use after 1200, so we recommend you focus on an
earlier period if you want to use this name.  The name was pronounced
\K(y)AIR-@\.  The symbol (y) represents a very slight consonantal \y\ that's
combined with the \K\ into a single sound.  \@\ represents a schwa, the
last sound in <soda>.

<Tessa> is an English pet form of <Theresa>.  The name <Theresa> was not
introduced to Ireland until after our period [2].  We strongly recommend
you avoid this name.

<Eochaga/in> is the genitive (possessive) form of the masculine given name
<Eochaga/n>.  In the early period when we know <Cera> was in use, it was
spelled <Eochuca/n> or <Eochaca/n>.  A major family from the midlands of
Ireland bore the name <Mac Eochaga/in> [3, 4].  If you want to say that you
are a member of that family, you could call yourself <Cera ingen Meic
Eochuca/in>, literally "Cera daughter of Mac Eochuca/in" [5, 6, 7].  This
name would have been pronounced \K(y)AIR-@ EEN-y@n vayg EKH-@-gahn~\.  \KH\
represents the raspy sound of the <ch> in the Scottish word <loch> or in
the German <Bach>.  \n~\ represents the sound of <gn> in French words like
<montagne> or of n-tilde in Spanish words like <sen~or>.  And yes, <Meic>
really is pronounced \vayg\.  In some grammatical circumstances in Gaelic,
the sound of initial consonant of a word softens, and in early medieval
Gaelic this change was often not reflected in the spelling.

Alternatively, you could identify yourself as a member of clan Ua
hEochuca/in, a historical clan from Ulster [8].  To do that, you'd call
yourself <Cera ingen hui Eochuca/in>, "Cera daughter of O/ Eochuca/in>,
pronounced \K(y)AIR-@ EEN-y@n (w)ee EKH-@-gahn~\.  The symbol (w)
represents a lightly pronounced \w\.

Finally, if you want to say that you are Eochuca/n's daughter, you could
call yourself <Cera ingen Eochuca/in>, pronounced \K(y)AIR-@ EEN-y@n
EKH-@-gahn~\.

Any of these names would be a fine choice for Ireland between about 950 and
1200.  The last choice could have been used earlier, probably back to 850
or so. 


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 Antonio Miguel Santos de Borja,
Maridonna Benvenuti, Mari neyn Brian, Talan Gwynek, and Amant le Marinier.

For the Academy,


  Arval Benicoeur
  2 Oct 2000


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References

[1] O/ Corra/in, Donnchadh and Fidelma Maguire, _Irish Names_ (Dublin: The
Lilliput Press, 1990), s.n. Cera.

[2] Jodi McMaster, "Concerning the Names Teresa, Theresa, Tracy, and
Treasa" (WWW: S Krossa, Problem Names, 1999).
http://www.medievalscotland.org/problem/names/teresa.shtml

[3] O/ Corra/in and Maguire, s.n. Eochuca/n.

[4] Donnchadh O/ Corra/in & Mavis Cournane, "Annals of the Four Masters"
(WWW: CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of University College,
Cork, Ireland, 1997). 
http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/G100005B

[5] Royal Irish Academy, _Dictionary of the Irish Language: based mainly on
Old and Middle Irish materials_ (Dublin : Royal Irish Academy, 1983),
s.v. mac(c).  After the introduction of surnames in the 10th-11th c., <mac>
followed by a masculine forename in the genitive case became a common form
of surname.  It often changed to <Ma/g> with genitive <Me/ig>.

[6] Mac Airt, Sea/n, ed., _The Annals of Inisfallen_ (Dublin: Dublin
Institute for Advanced Studies, 1988).  Examples of clan surnames in this
pattern include <Domnall mc. Mec Carthaig> 1189, <Domnall mc. Meic
Carthaig> 1193, <Fingen mc. Mec Chartaig> 1192, <Fi/ngin mec Mec Cartaigh>
1196, <mc. Meic Carthaigh> 1196 (with the <i> in <Meic> added as a
subscript), <mc. Mec Tegthega/in> 1202, <mac Meic Carthaig> 1204, <mc. Meic
Carthaich> 1205, <mc. Meic Cairthaig> 1206.

[7] Annals of the Four Masters (referenced above) v.3, M1363.6 <Bebinn
ingen Mhe/g Eochagain ben an t-Sionnigh>.  Also Cournane, Mavis, Vibeke
Dijkman, and Ivonne Tummers, "Annals of Connacht" (WWW: CELT: Corpus of
Electronic Texts: a project of University College, Cork, Ireland, 1997,
http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/G100011), 1363.9 <Be Binn ingen Mec Eochacan
uxor Ulpis> and 1468.29 <Aine ingen Meg Eochagan ben Meg Uidir>.

[8] Woulfe, Patrick, _Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames_
(Kansas City: Irish Genealogical Foundation) s.n. O/ hEochaga/in.