ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 3260
http://www.s-gabriel.org/3260
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26 Feb 2007
From: Aryanhwy merch Catmael 

Greetings from the Academy of S. Gabriel!

You asked for our help constructing an anglicized Gaelic name
authentic for a woman living during the Tudor period and based on your
current name <Muirgheal inghean ui Ogain>.  Here is what we have found.

While we haven't found any anglicized examples of <Muirgheal> in the
period that you're interested in, based on other data we can make some
recommendations that we believe are suitable.

The Gaelic name <Muirgheal> appears to be the root of the name
<Muriel>, which is found in records from England in the following
forms: [1,4,5]

  Muriel    1198, 1200, 1205, 1273, 1279
  Muriella  1199, 1285
  Miriella  1199
  Mirield   1273
  Miriel    1205, 1207
  Mirielda  1205, 1207
  Miriald   1207
  Meriall   1584, 1589, 1592, 1598
  Meryall   1587, 1602, 1604
  Maryall   1587
  Myrrell   1596
  Myryell   1596
  Miriall   1600
  
In Scotland, we find the following examples: [2,3]

  Muriel    a. 1174, 1225, 1238, 1279, 1333, 16th C.
  Muriella  1284
  Murreall  1586

The examples ending in <-a> are from Latin-language records.  The
identification of <Muriel> with <Muirgheal> is not certain, but the
two names are similarly enough pronounced that it's not unreasonable
to think that a scribe writting in English could have used <Muriel> to
represent <Muirgheal>.

As you can see, none of these examples fall within the period in which
you're interested.  We therefore cannot say for sure exactly which
spelling is the most appropriate, though <Muriel> seems as likely a
choice as any.

In English records from the time of Elizabeth I - James I, the Gaelic
byname <O/ hO/ga/in> (which is the masculine form of <inghean ui/
O/ga/in>, where a slash indicates an acute accent over the previous
letter) is recorded as <O Hogaine>, <O Hogan>, and <O Hogane>. [6] 
Again this is later than your desired period, but there's no reason to
think that the name would've been anglicized differently a hundred
years earlier.

We have a handful of examples of late-period Anglicized Gaelic
feminine names: [7,8]

  <Juane Ny Teige O'Donovane>, daughter of <Teige O'Donovane>
  <Ellen Carthie>, daughter of <Florence Mc Carthie>
  <Juan Ny Morough Donovane>, daughter of <Morough Donovane>
  <Ellen Donovane>, daughter of <Daniell O'Donovane>
  <Joaane Donovane, alias Goggan>
  <Joane ny Teige>
  <Anne Ferrall>
  <Evelin ne Morishe>
  <Marie ny Dowda>
  <Honor nyn Donnell McSwiny>
  <Onore nyn Dermot O'Rian More Voy>

In four cases we have the father's entire name after <ny> or <nyn>,
and in three more we apparently have just the father's given name
after <ny> or <ne>.  In one case the daughter uses the father's
surname without <Mc> and in another without <O>.  <Anne Ferrall> could
well be of one of these types. 

This is a small data set to draw any reliable conclusions from, but we
do note that in most cases, the father's given name was included. 
When it is not, we recommend that none of <nyn>, <ny>, or <ne> be
used.  We therefore recommend plain <Hogan>, <Hogaine>, or <Hogane> as
a suitable anglicization of <inghean ui/ O/ga/in>.

We hope that this letter has been useful to you and that you won't
hesitate to write us again if any part was unclear to you or if you
have further questions.  Research and commentary on this letter was
provided by Ursula Georges, Mari neyn Brian, and Talan Gwynek.

For the Academy,
-Aryanhwy merch Catmael, 26 February 2007

--
References:

[1] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian
Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988), s.n. Muriel.

[2] Black, George F., _The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning
and History_, (New York: The New York Public Library, 1986), s.nn. 
Achenbruc, Inchbaikie, Muriel, Pollock, Achenbruc, Rose.

[3] Krossa, Sharon L., "Scottish Gaelic Given Names" (WWW: privately
published, 2000-2002) 
http://www.MedievalScotland.org/scotnames/gaelicgiven/

[4] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_
(London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.n. Arlott.

[5] Uckelman, Sara L., "English Given Names from 16th and Early 17th C
Marriage Records" (WWW: Self-published, 2006-2007)
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/english/parishes/parishes.html

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

[7] _Annala Rioghachta Eireann: Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by
the Four Masters from the Earliest period to the Year 1616_ edited
from MSS. in the Library of the Royal Irish Academy and of Trinity
College, Dublin with a translation by John O'Donovan, VII Volumes
(Hodges, Smith, and Co: Dublin, 1854), vol. 6, p. 2446.

[8] Ewen, C. L'Estrange, _A History of Surnames of the British Isles_
(London: Kegan Paul, Trench, 1931; Detroit: Gale Research Company,
1968), p. 210