De-Anglicisation of Names

[ChattanCat]

How 'bout Catanach (ok scottish), Hood (my mother's madien name), Metcalf (my wife's madien name), Nichols (my wife's father's mother's madien name)

[David Dubh]

My mum gets pissy when I tell her that I can't find any Scots background for her mum's maiden name Laird. Care too enlighten me? ps her maiden name is O'Brien

[slohairt]

My mum gets pissy when I tell her that I can't find any Scots background for her mum's maiden name Laird. Care too enlighten me? ps her maiden name is O'Brien

LAIRD From the Scots word laird, cognate with the English word 'lord'.

O'BRIEN This is Anglicised from Ó Briain (pronounced O BREE-UN), meaning 'descendant of Brian.' You may have noticed that Brian is actually pronounced BREE-UN, not BRY-AN. The vowel combination "ia" is always pronounced as "ee-uh" not "eye-uh".

[slohairt]

How 'bout Catanach (ok scottish), Hood (my mother's madien name), Metcalf (my wife's madien name), Nichols (my wife's father's mother's madien name)

CATANACH You probably already know this, but it means 'of Clann Catan', which was the loose confederation of the clans MacIntosh (Mac an Toisich), MacPherson (Mac a' Phearsain), MacGillivray (Mac Gille Bhràith) and Farquharson (Mac Fearchair). The name is based upon the old Celtic tradition of naming tribes for animals, in this the cat. Coincidentally, the word catanach also means 'rough' or 'shaggy'!

HOOD Usually Anglo-Saxon, from Huda (hood). This could place it anywhere in the island of Great Britain. Irish Hoods are usually derived from Ó hUid, Mac Uid or may be translations of Irish names that refer to head wear of some kind.

METCALF North of England name. Not sure of the etymology.

NICHOLS Usually Anglicised from Mac Neacail, meaning 'son of Neacal', a Gaelic form of Nicholas.