De-Anglicisation of Names

[slohairt]

My surname is Middleton my ggggrand father was from Glasgow, and my mothers maiden name was Gourley they were from Fife. Any translation with these?

MIDDLETON Etymologically of Anglic origin, thus placing it in the Lowlands (and England, too). It means 'middle town/settlement/homestead'. A Gaelic translation (for fun) could be Baile Meidhean (roughly pronounced BAL-UH MAIN) and a Gaelic transliteration could be Miodaltun.

GOURLEY Of Norman origin, this name is usually found as Gourlay when Scottish. (Also Gurley and Gurlay.) Gourley occurs frequently in England. Both are thought to be derived from an unidentified place name in Normandy or Picardy. A Gaelic transliteration could be de Gorlaidh.

[Aldisimo]

Watkins? Harrison (Henry's/Harry's son, I suppose)?

Why does The Name Game song come to mind ...

[mudd]

I have two more of my ancestral names for you; Noble and Anglin.

[slohairt]

I have two more of my ancestral names for you; Noble and Anglin.

NOBLE I would guess this to be a descriptive name (perhaps with a bit of irony), from Norman-French via Latin Nobilis. The Gaelic (both Irish and Scottish) word for 'noble' is uasal, pronounced OO-AS-AL. A pseudo-Gaelic patronymic (for entertainment purposes) could be Mac an tUasail (IRISH) or Mac an t-Uasail (SCOTTISH GAELIC). ;) Both are pronounced as MAC AN TOO-AS-ILL)

ANGLIN From the Irish Ó hAngluinn, meaning 'descendant of Anglonn', a personal name meaning 'champion'.

[slohairt]

Watkins? Harrison (Henry's/Harry's son, I suppose)?

Why does The Name Game song come to mind ...

WATKINS I think this is usually Welsh, and spelled as Gwatcyn in the Welsh language.

HARRISON A patronymic meaning 'Harri's son', Harri being a pet form of Henry. It can sometimes be a translation of the Welsh Ap Harri.

[Geoff Withnell]

If you have the time, I'd would appreciate your take on my name:

Geoffrey Leigh Withnell (there have been a bunch of us with that moniker in the family, although it traditionally in our family is not passed from father to son, e.g. I am named after an uncle.)

I am told Geoffrey is the same name as Godfrey and means "Peace of God"

Leigh is as has been noted earlier a term for a field or meadow.

According to family tradition, Withnell is derived from "Willow Hill" (withy knoll), and is Welsh. There are a lot of Davies and Jones in the geneology, so I tend to believe the Welsh bit.

Geoff Withnell

[slohairt]

If you have the time, I'd would appreciate your take on my name:

Geoffrey Leigh Withnell (there have been a bunch of us with that moniker in the family, although it traditionally in our family is not passed from father to son, e.g. I am named after an uncle.)

I am told Geoffrey is the same name as Godfrey and means "Peace of God"

Leigh is as has been noted earlier a term for a field or meadow.

According to family tradition, Withnell is derived from "Willow Hill" (withy knoll), and is Welsh. There are a lot of Davies and Jones in the geneology, so I tend to believe the Welsh bit.

Geoff Withnell

I believe that Geoffrey and Godfrey do stem from the same Germanic compounds. It is also interesting to note that Geoffrey and Jeffrey have been interchangeable as spelling throughout history.

Some Irish forms of Geoffrey are Seafraidh, Siofraidh, or Seathrún (pronounced SHAF-REE, SHIF-REE and SHA-ROON respectively). The Irish form of Godfrey is usually Gothfraidh, or Gofraidh (both pronounced as GAWF-REE). I believe a Scottish Gaelic form is Goiridh, pronounced GAWR-EE, this is used for both Geoffrey and Godfrey.

Leigh is indeed the Anglo-Saxon term for 'meadow' or 'clearing'.

Withnell would appear to be a North of England name, there is a Withnell in Lancashire, and the place is believed to originally mean willow hill, as it was recorded in earlier times as Withinhull.

[macneighill]

Séamas (James)=A Shéamais (pronounced A HAMISH)

There are 2 forms of the name "James", when speaking Gaelic. There is the Irish form and, the Scottish form. Both of which are listed below .

"Séamas" is the Irish form
"Séumas" is the Scottish form

Both are pronounced "SHAY-mus".

[slohairt]

Yes, I know. Séamas (Irish) and Seumas (Scottish) are both pronounced Shame-us. However, when addressing someone in Gaelic (either variety), be it speaking or writing a letter, one uses the vocative case which changes the spelling and the pronunciation. The first letter is subject to lenition, which involves adding an 'h' to the initial consonant. This rule only applies to the letters b, c, d, f, g, m, p, s, and t. This changes the sound as well. The name is then put in the possessive, which in the case of Séamas/Seumas means placing a "i" before the s. When the letter "s" is preceded or followed by a slender vowel (in this case "i") this creates a "sh" sound.

So, Séamas becomes Shéamais and Seumas becomes Sheumais. (Both are pronounced HAME-ISH when using this form.) These are forms are only used when addressing someone.

[macneighill]

However, when addressing someone in Gaelic (either variety), be it speaking or writing a letter, one uses the vocative case which changes the spelling and the pronunciation.

Ah, OK . . I see what you're saying. I misunderstood you at first .