De-Anglicisation of Names

[sarge]

Slohairt, thank you for all of your efforts in this thread. My daughter has married a young man named Henley. Any thoughts on Henley?

Many thanks

[slohairt]

Slohairt, thank you for all of your efforts in this thread. My daughter has married a young man named Henley. Any thoughts on Henley?

Many thanks

Tá fáilte romhat, A Sarge!

My guess would be English topographical origin. The last part ley is Anglo-Saxon for field or meadow. Hanley, however, is a different matter, it is usually derived from the Irish Ó hAinle.

[Graywolf]

This is too great. OKay try this one - Breeden. As I understand the origin, the Bre is Celtic for hill, the den is from Saxon word "dun" for hill, and our family name originates from the town of Breedon-on-the-hill.

[slohairt]

This is too great. OKay try this one - Breeden. As I understand the origin, the Bre is Celtic for hill, the den is from Saxon word "dun" for hill, and our family name originates from the town of Breedon-on-the-hill.

A Fhaol Liath,

I would say your etymology is more or less correct. The first Celtic element, bre (Goidelic brí, Brythonic bre) does indeed mean hill. However, it can also mean high and in this case I think that is probably more accurate. The Anglo-Saxon don/dun/den element means hill as well. Since naming a place hill-hill seems rather silly, I would suggest it likely means high hill.

[gilmore]

A Fhaol Liath,

I would say your etymology is more or less correct. The first Celtic element, bre (Goidelic brí, Brythonic bre) does indeed mean hill. However, it can also mean high and in this case I think that is probably more accurate. The Anglo-Saxon don/dun/den element means hill as well. Since naming a place hill-hill seems rather silly, I would suggest it likely means high hill.

There are quite a few British surnames that come from the words for the same thing in 2 different languages, such as Cheatwood. It isn't at all uncommon.

[gilmore]

A Fhaol Liath,

I would say your etymology is more or less correct. The first Celtic element, bre (Goidelic brí, Brythonic bre) does indeed mean hill. However, it can also mean high and in this case I think that is probably more accurate. The Anglo-Saxon don/dun/den element means hill as well. Since naming a place hill-hill seems rather silly, I would suggest it likely means high hill.

There are quite a few British surnames that come from the words for the same thing in 2 different languages, such as the above example, as well as Cheatwood. It isn't at all uncommon.

[slohairt]

Agreed. And the etymology may very well be hill-hill, I was just suggesting a more logical etymology.

By the way, was the double posting deliberate?

[gilmore]

...
By the way, was the double posting deliberate?

No, I don't know what happened. I guess the board hiccupped or seomthing.

[Graywolf]

Thanks,

So the town is either "High hill on-the-hill" or "Hill Hill on-the-hill". Either way, I have to wonder if we weren't a little slow. If you have to decribe where you live two or three times in its name, then you have to believe we were from the shallow end of the gene pool.

[Frank McGrath]

This is a great thread. Try these.
McGrath, Gosnell, Galten, Jones, Boone. Thanks.

Frank