De-Anglicisation of Names

[auld argonian]

The Scottish side of my family is the Lattas and the name is definitely of Norman origin...there was a branch of the family that remained in France and on of them was among the mob that stormed the Bastille. The Norman connection makes a bit of sense since Auld William Latta was employed by Richard I as a military engineer. I've been given to understand that there's a rather big streak of Norman blood among the Scots.

Best

AA

[slohairt]

Dia Dhuit!

LATTAS You're probably right. You might find it interesting that there is a Lowland Scots surname Latta (also Latto) of unknown etymology. Could be related. Yes, there is a large Norman streak in the Scots. Possibly even more so in the Irish as well. And, most of all, in the English.

[slohairt]

Dia Dhuit, MacWage!

WAGE I wasn't being nasty. I was just pretending to be Pour1Malt for a moment!
Seriously, though. I did some more digging and found this old Irish name: Mac Uais (pronounced MAC OO-ISH). It has been, at times, anglicised to Wage. Uas was a special crown of silver given to bards/poets who were of the level below the ollamh. Using this etymology, it could mean son of the crowned one. Perhaps this is it!

P.S. You might find it humorous that I went to high school in a small town called Clinton here in Ontario!

MAC DHUIBHSHITH Who knows? It's an Irish name as well, though usually anglicised as Mahaffy.

[gilmore]

The Scottish side of my family is the Lattas and the name is definitely of Norman origin...there was a branch of the family that remained in France and on of them was among the mob that stormed the Bastille. The Norman connection makes a bit of sense since Auld William Latta was employed by Richard I as a military engineer. I've been given to understand that there's a rather big streak of Norman blood among the Scots.

Best

AA

Do you have relatives in North Carolina? My cousin married a Latta from there.