De-Anglicisation of Names

**Kilted Rogue** · 27th September 08, 05:49 PM

How about the surname "Chard". I know that there is a Town in SW England named Chard. so am sure its quite English.

Thank you

**Rob** · 2nd October 08, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by Kilted Rogue

How about the surname "Chard". I know that there is a Town in SW England named Chard. so am sure its quite English.

Thank you

The town name of Chard in Somerset (SW England) isn't quite as 'English' (i.e. Anglo-Saxon) as one might suspect. In 1065AD it was recorded as 'Cerdren', which is thought to be derived from the Brythonic Celtic word 'cerdin', meaning rowans or mountain ash.

The element 'chard' also crops up in Devon (SW England) in the town/village names 'Morchard Bishop' and 'Cruwys Morchard', where the 'morchard' part is definitely the Brythonic 'mor + ced', meaning large wood.

I hope this helps with the possible interpretation of the surname Chard.

**slohairt** · 2nd October 08, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by Rob

The town name of Chard in Somerset (SW England) isn't quite as 'English' (i.e. Anglo-Saxon) as one might suspect. In 1065AD it was recorded as 'Cerdren', which is thought to be derived from the Brythonic Celtic word 'cerdin', meaning rowans or mountain ash.

The element 'chard' also crops up in Devon (SW England) in the town/village names 'Morchard Bishop' and 'Cruwys Morchard', where the 'morchard' part is definitely the Brythonic 'mor + ced', meaning large wood.

I hope this helps with the possible interpretation of the surname Chard.

I concur. Being so close to Cornwall gives credence to a Brythonic Celtic (probably really a Cornish name, by that point in time) origin.

**davedove** · 2nd October 08, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by Kilted Rogue

How about the surname "Chard". I know that there is a Town in SW England named Chard. so am sure its quite English.

Thank you

Originally Posted by Rob

The town name of Chard in Somerset (SW England) isn't quite as 'English' (i.e. Anglo-Saxon) as one might suspect. In 1065AD it was recorded as 'Cerdren', which is thought to be derived from the Brythonic Celtic word 'cerdin', meaning rowans or mountain ash.

The element 'chard' also crops up in Devon (SW England) in the town/village names 'Morchard Bishop' and 'Cruwys Morchard', where the 'morchard' part is definitely the Brythonic 'mor + ced', meaning large wood.

I hope this helps with the possible interpretation of the surname Chard.

Originally Posted by slohairt

I concur. Being so close to Cornwall gives credence to a Brythonic Celtic (probably really a Cornish name, by that point in time) origin.

And here I thought it might be from a town that grew a lot of chard.

**Kilted Rogue** · 2nd October 08, 12:00 PM

so did i come from the veggie or the area with a lot of "...chard..."
the world will never know

thank you for the new info, now i need to do some more digging

**McELT** · 2nd October 08, 12:33 PM

This has been a fascinating thread.

How would you de-Anglicize McGovern?

I learned to spell it as in my signature line, but saw it differently when I was in Ireland.

**slohairt** · 5th October 08, 06:45 AM

Originally Posted by McELT

This has been a fascinating thread.

How would you de-Anglicize McGovern?

I learned to spell it as in my signature line, but saw it differently when I was in Ireland.

MCGOVERN Mag Shamhradhain (pronounced MAC OW-RAY-AN) is the oldest Irish language spelling. Later versions would be Mac Shamhradhain (MAC OW-RAY-AN) and Mac Shamhrain (MAC OW-RAN). The name means 'son of Samhradhan (summer)'.