More Irish names

Irish names have had 2 main sources, partly Catholic names because the bulk of the population were devoutly Catholic... so it was natural that they would use saints’ names.  (The Anglo Irish gentry and middle class who originated from England and who were usually Protestant followed traditional English naming).

Catholic names which were popular included many saints’ names and names such as Carmel (from the name of the Carmelite Nuns)… And, well into the 20^th century Mary was a very well used name. It was often given as  a second name, even at times for boys, and there were numerous variations of it which were used for girls… These included Maria, Marian, Marie. Maire (or Maura) and the diminutive Maureen….

Saints names included Bernadette (After St Bernadette of Lourdes), Theresa after St Therese of Liseiux, Angela, Catherine (or Catriona)… Madeleine (after Mary Magdalen).

Male catholic names included Brendan, Kevin, Gabriel, and Raphael…

The other main influence on names particularly into the 20^th century was Irish literature and mythology.  These names have become more and more popular as Ireland has become more secularised…

In the late 19^th century, there was a revival of interest in Gaelic literature and folklore, called by some the Celtic Dawn.  Poets and writers produced plays, poems and novels which were new versions of the old Celtic Mythology.   One such name was Etain (pronounced AYTAWN).. which was based on the story of Princess Etain of the fair Hair..  Russell Boughton, an English composer, wrote an opera (the Immortal Hour) based on a play by the author William Sharp…

Yeats was an admirer of the Celtic myths and many of his poems referred to the stories... which brought about an interest in the names.  He wrote about Queen Maeve an ancient warrior Queen... and wrote a poem on the Children of Lir... which popularised the name Fionnuala, (meaning white Shoulders).  The children of Lir were turned into swans by their jealous stepmother and were only released from the spell when Ireland became Christian….  Fionnuala was anglicised as Fenella.. and there was also a variant Finola..

The Celtic revivalists also wrote plays based on the “Story of Dermot and Grainne” which is similar to the “Love triangle” story of Arthur, Guenevere and Lancelot, or Mark, Isolde and Tristram, in British mythology…  Grainne is the young “late in life” wife of Fionn McCumhall, a king.. He marries her but is too old to attract her, and she falls in love with the young and handsome Dermot.. They run away together and it ends tragically…

The name Fionn or Finn has never been that popular but Dermot has been well used (it means free from  envy.....  and Grainne (sometimes spelled Grania) has also been very popular…  Grainne is based on the Irish word for love.. Gra – pronounced GRAW….

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