De-Anglicisation of Names

[McMathTX]

Mine should be pretty easy, but I would be interested in seeing the ancient form - McMath.

Dean

[slohairt]

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

Frank

A Fhrainc,

MCGRATH Also MacGrath,, Magrath, Magragh, MacGragh, Megrath, Magraw, MacGraw, Megraw, MacGra, McCreach, MacRay, MacRea, MacCraith, MacCray, MacCrea, MacWray, Rea McCraye, or McCragh. This bewildering array of Anglicisations are all derived from the same Gaelic surname, Mac Raith (archaic form Mag Raith), pronounced MAK RA. It means son of Rath, a personal which, in turn means gracious. It can be of either Scottish or Irish origin.

GOSNELL I believe this is an Anglo-Saxon topographical name. Gosa's or Gos's Knell?

GALTEN ?

JONES *What's new, pussycat? Whoa-whoa...* Sorry! I couldn't resist! This is a Welsh name, of course, derived from John, with the terminal 's' denoting son of. I believe in Welsh it is rendered Ap Siôn. In Irish, it is rendered Mac Seoin, pronounced MAC SHOAN.

BOONE As in Daniel or Pat? Possibly Norman, derived from Bohun?

[slohairt]

Heh, try mine on for size.
Strowes.

A Greumach,

A dinnae ken on this ane, A'm afeart!

If I were to guess, I would say it is either derived from the Anglo-Saxon, strod or stroth, meaning marsh land, or from the Gaelic sruth or srath meaning stream.

[sarge]

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

Frank

Interesting. I grew up with a McGrath family, pronounced as it's spelled, yet all of my dad's friends who knew their dad pronounced it MacGraw

[slohairt]

Forgive me if this is a duplicate, but, watching the presidential campaign for this country, the question crossed my mind as to what you could do with the name McCain.

Without knowing exactly what John McCain's ancestry is, it would be difficult to say. McCain can be Irish or Scottish, here are some original forms it could be derived from:

Mac Catháin 'son of Cathán' (little warrior) Irish
Mac Eoghain 'son of Eoghan' (well-born) Irish or Scottish
Mac Eoin 'son of John' Irish or Scottish
Mac Gill'Eain 'son of the servant of St. John' Scottish

[slohairt]

Mine should be pretty easy, but I would be interested in seeing the ancient form - McMath.

Dean

Here is the ancient and modern Scottish Gaelic form (which are the same):

Mac Matha = son of Matthew, pronounced MAC MA-HA

[BoldHighlander]

Without knowing exactly what John McCain's ancestry is, it would be difficult to say. McCain can be Irish or Scottish, here are some original forms it could be derived from:

Mac Catháin 'son of Cathán' (little warrior) Irish
Mac Eoghain 'son of Eoghan' (well-born) Irish or Scottish
Mac Eoin 'son of John' Irish or Scottish
Mac Gill'Eain 'son of the servant of St. John' Scottish

My understanding is that his people were Ulster-Scots.

[Jack Daw]

My grandmother's maiden name was Person. I've asked the MacPhersons if this is a derivation of their name and I get head-scratches.

Two more: Humphries, I know is Welsh, but don't know the origin; and, Earle, I understand is Irish.

[slohairt]

My grandmother's maiden name was Person. I've asked the MacPhersons if this is a derivation of their name and I get head-scratches.

Two more: Humphries, I know is Welsh, but don't know the origin; and, Earle, I understand is Irish.

PERSON There are at least three possibilities I can think of for this name. 1) English patronymic meaning Pier's son. Piers is the Norman form of Peter. 2) English occupational name indicating a parson. 3) An Anglicisation of Mac a' Phearsain (MacPherson) meaning son of the parson.

HUMPHRIES This can be found many areas of the Isles but is usually associated with Wales. In Welsh, i believe it is Ap Wmffre.

EARLE This is most often an Anglo-Saxon name with the same meaning as the title earl (cognitive with jarl). Occasionally, it can be Irish. However, in this case it is not an Anglicisation, but a 'translation' of the Irish, Ó Maolmhochóir (pronounced O MAIL-VUH-KHORE or O MAIL-UH-KHORE) meaning 'descended from Maolmhochór, a personal name denoting 'one who is devoted to early risings'

[ForresterModern]

Maybe an easy one for a change.

Foster, probably from Forrester, reportedly a sept of either the MacDonald and/or Douglas clans, and supposedly from the West Lothian region of the lowlands or North Umberland area of extreme northern England.