De-Anglicisation of Names

[Cyndi]

I'm sure they are. I think my Grandad told me that their name was Sinclair a long, long time ago.

[slohairt]

Hoe about my mom's maiden name, St. Clair, and her mom's, Bohannon?

ST. CLAIR St. Clair and Sinclair are the same name, as bjproc pointed out. They are derived from the place-name Saint-Clair-sur-l'Elle in Normandy. So, based on this, you can assume the original progenitors were Norman knights moving northward. However, some Sinclairs (particularly in Argyll) are actually Mac na Cearda, meaning son of the tinker. (Pronounced MAC NA KyERD-A). It's just one of many examples of Scottish names of Norman and Gaelic origin becoming muddled together. Without proper research, it would be difficult to ascertain which is which.

BOHANNON This is just a variation of Buchanan. Though Buchanan works in Gaelic orthography, Canonach is usual Gaelic form. (Pronounced KAN-ON-AKH)

[Cyndi]

Thank you! Do you know what kind of name Black is? That was my dad's name before he was adopted as a baby. I wonder about my roots there.

[slohairt]

Thank you! Do you know what kind of name Black is? That was my dad's name before he was adopted as a baby. I wonder about my roots there.

You're welcome, Cyndi!

BLACK Obviously, this is one of those surnames that could be of any origin. However, if we decide (arbitrarily) to narrow it down to the U.K. and Ireland, the following would be some possibilities:

1) Anglo-Saxon; from blaec, meaning...black!

2) Norse; from bleikr, meaning pale. (Quite the opposite!) I think this also the etymology of the word bleach and bleak, incidentally.

3) Gaelic; There are many Gaelic surnames, both Irish and Scottish, which contain the element dubh, or black. Here are some good examples:

Mac Gille Duibh (SCOTTISH GAELIC)
Mac Giolla Duibh (IRISH)

Both of these names mean son of the servant of the dark (coloured) one, or son of the dark youth, depending on one's interpretation. The are both pronounced MAC GILL-A DOO or MAC GILL-A DUV.

Mac Duibh (SCOTTISH GAELIC or IRISH) Son of the dark one. Usually Anglicised as M(a)cDuff or Duff. Pronounced MAC DOO or MAC DUV)

Sláinte!

[slohairt]

Have you done Blair? Thank you.

Sorry, I missed this one!

BLAIR Topographical, from the Scottish Gaelic word, blàr, meaning field. The name is usually rendered as Blàrach in Scottish Gaelic. (Pronounced BLAUR-AKH)

[ardchoille]

slohairt, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for all of this wonderful information, and your willingness to share it with others. You are appreciated.

[dowofbuchanan]

hello again thanks for the information and entertainment ... quick one for you ive got a name that research shows is mainly english but sometimes irish ... my stepsisters surname is shirley ... her dad is a short freckled flame head that burns looking at a lightbulb so when he claims to be irish i believe him ...

[Fougasse]

Thanks for the entertainment, I've just spent a very pleasant hour or so reading through all of this post. While the origin of most of my family names is relatively easy to track down I've always struggled with my own name, McCorriston.

[MacHummel]

Hey Slohairt
I'm looking for the spelling of the words Hope and Faith can you help

[slohairt]

slohairt, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for all of this wonderful information, and your willingness to share it with others. You are appreciated.

Thank you to you as well. I rather enjoy doing it. Sharing knowledge is always a good thing, no matter how trivial that knowledge may seem to some!