De-Anglicisation of Names

**ForresterModern** · 18th May 09, 11:37 AM

Is this guy awesome or what? Thanks. You are a tremendous asset to this forum.

Jeff

:ootd:

Originally Posted by slohairt

It can be from three unrelated origins: 1) English occupational or nickname from Anglo-Saxon Cniht, 2) Anglicised from Mac Neachdainn (SCOTTISH GAELIC) or Mac Neachtain (IRISH). Both mean 'son of Neachdann', a personal apparently common among the Picts and the name of a Celtic water divinity. I'm not sure of the meaning, but some have suggested it means 'snow-white'. 3) Anglicised from Irish Mac an Ridire meaning 'son of the Knight'. This was a name adopted by some first generation Hiberno-Normans.

**slohairt** · 18th May 09, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by ForresterModern

Is this guy awesome or what? Thanks. You are a tremendous asset to this forum.

Jeff

:ootd:

Go raibh maith agat! (Thanks!)

**Santa Kona** · 18th May 09, 01:04 PM

Thanks a lot that is what I have come up with also. I just wanted someone else to look at it.

**xdkeys** · 5th June 09, 11:34 AM

Newbie here, how about Autry. I read that it would have been Mac Uchtre.

Thanks.

**slohairt** · 5th June 09, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by xdkeys

Newbie here, how about Autry. I read that it would have been Mac Uchtre.

Thanks.

I believe it to be Anglicised from Mac Eachaidh, 'son of Eachadh', a name meaning 'horseman'. The pronunciation would roughly be MAC EKH-AY. The phonetics of the Anglicisation and the original don't really match at all, of course, but they rarely ever do!