Quote Originally Posted by iustus View Post
Great Thread. Having tried my hand at Scottish Gaelic only to put it down to focus more on pipe music (another form of Gaelic I suppose) I have to say I admire your talents here. It really peaks my curiosity...

So I can't help trowing in a few family names to see how you work them.

Lanier- French (not sure if it's something about falcons or the lazy)
Holcombe- Anglo-something
Peirie- Scottish, but from Aberdeen-shire.
LANIER French, occupational name probably from laine meaning 'wool'.
HOLCOMBE English topographical surname from Anglo-Saxon 'hol' meaning 'deep' or 'hollow', and cwm, which was Brythonic Celtic (i.e. Welsh, Cornish, and Breton) for 'valley'.
PEIRIE Anglo-Norman, from Pierie, a diminutive of Piers, the Norman version of the personal name 'Peter'.