Category Archives: Gaelic Names

Mannix, Mainchín

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  • Origin: Irish Gaelic
  • Meaning: “little monk.”
  • Latinization: Manchianus
  • Variant: Manchán, Manchéne
  • Gender: Male

Mannix is the Anglicized form of the early Irish given name Mainchín, a diminutive of Old Irish manach, meaning “monk.” The root manach comes from Latin monachus, “monk,” introduced to Ireland through early Christian monasticism.

Mainchín was a popular given name among early Irish saints, particularly during Ireland’s monastic age (6th–8th centuries). Notable bearers include: Saint Mainchín of Limerick, a 6th-century bishop and the patron saint of the city; and Saint Mainchín of Corann, a lesser-known saint of County Sligo.

As Irish names were adapted into English, Mainchín became Mannix (also occasionally Manix or Mannex). Over time, this Anglicized given name also evolved into a family surname, carried by descendants of those named Mainchín.

The name gained brief international attention through Archbishop Daniel Mannix (1864–1963) of Melbourne, a prominent Irish-Australian religious leader, and through the late-1960s detective series Mannix, which reintroduced the name to modern audiences.

Today, Mannix is a rare but genuine revival of an ancient Irish Christian name — never invented, never fabricated from a surname, but descended directly from one of Ireland’s earliest monastic names. It combines the humility of its meaning (“little monk”) with the strong, contemporary rhythm of names ending in -x (Felix, Lennox, Maddox).

Another Anglicized form is Munchin.

Other forms include:

  • Mawgan (Cornish)
  • Manchan (French, Breton, Scottish)
  • Manganus (Late Latin)
  • Mainquino (Spanish)
  • Meugen, Meigant (Welsh)

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Ptolomy

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  • Origin: Greek Πτολεμαῖος
  • Meaning: “aggressive, warlike.”
  • Gender: Male
  • Eng (PTAHL-e-mee, TAHL-e-mee)

Derived from the ancient Greek male name Πτολεμαῖος (Ptolemaios), which in turn comes from πτόλεμος (ptólemos), meaning “war” or “battle.”

The word ptólemos is an older Aeolic dialectal form of πόλεμος (pólemos), the standard Classical Greek word for “war,” sharing the same root with the English word, “polemic.”

Ptolemy I Soter (367–283 BCE) was a general of Alexander the Great and later became Pharaoh of Egypt, founding the Ptolemaic Dynasty (323–30 BCE). This dynasty ruled Egypt for nearly three centuries and ended with Cleopatra VII, the most famous bearer of the family’s legacy.

Claudius Ptolemaeus (Ptolemy) (2nd century CE) was the famed Greek astronomer, mathematician, and geographer of Alexandria, whose Almagest shaped Western astronomy for over a millennium.

According to the Book of 1 Maccabees (135/4 BC), Ptolemy of Jericho betrayed his father-in-law, Simon the High Priest, by murdering him and his two sons while they slept as guests under his roof. This act of treachery is used in Dante Alighieri’s The Inferno, in which the ninth circle of Hell is called Ptolomea after him, a frozen realm reserved for those who betray their guests.

Ptolomy is also the name of an early Christian saint.

In the English-speaking world, Ptolomy has been used on and off since the 18th-century. It appeared in the U.K’s top 500 boys’ names in 2004, ranking in at #906.

A modern bearer is American author, Ptolemy Tompkins. Celebrity couple Gretchen Mol and Tod Williams bestowed this on their son in 2007.

Common English short forms include: Tollie, Tolly, and Tal.

International Variations

  • Butlimus بطليموس (Arabic)
  • Ptghomeos Պտղոմեոս (Armenian)
  • Ptaljemej Пталемей (Belarusian)
  • Ptolemej Птолемей (Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Ukrainian)
  • Ptolemeu, Tolomeu (Catalan)
  • Ptolomeos ⲡⲧⲟⲗⲉⲙⲉⲟⲥ (Coptic)
  • Ptolemy (Another English form)
  • Ptolémée (French)
  • Tolomaes (Gaelic)
  • Ptolomeu (Galician, Occitanian, Romanian)
  • Ptolemäus (German)
  • Ptolemaiosz (Hungarian)
  • Ptólmæos (Icelandic)
  • Tolomeo (Italian, Spanish)
  • Tolommeo (Italian)
  • Ptolomaeus (Latin)
  • Ptolemajs (Latvian)
  • Ptolemėjus (Lithuanian)
  • Ptolomey, Ptolomej Птолемей (Macedonian, Russian)
  • Tolomé (Piedmontese)
  • Ptolomeusz (Polish)
  • Ptolomeu (Portuguese)
  • Ptolemæus (Scandinavian)
  • Ptolomaidh (Scottish-Gaelic)
  • Tulumeu (Sicilian)
  • Ptolomaj (Slovenian)
  • Ptolemeo, Ptolomeo (Spanish)
  • Batlamyus (Turkish)

Female forms include the sensual Ptolemaïs (Πτολεμαΐς) and the Italian, Tolomea.

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Fionnabhair

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  • Origin: Irish Gaelic
  • Meaning: “white phantom; white brow.”
  • Gender: Female

An ancient Irish Gaelic female name composed of the Gaelic elements, fionn (fair, white, bright), and sīabar (phantom; spectre; ghost). It is the Irish cognate of Gwynhyvar or Guinevere

In the Ulster Cycle of early Irish legend, Fionnabhair (often anglicised as Findabair or Finnabair) is the daughter of Queen Medb and King Ailill of Connacht. She plays a pivotal role in the epic Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley), where her beauty and political marriages are central to the plot.

Pronunciation

The two main Gaelic pronunciations depending on the dialect are fin-NOR and FINNA-vare.

Variations & International Variations

Fionnúir is another form. The name appears in early English translations as Findabair and Finnabair. Also, there is Fennor (rhyme with Lenore), the Latinate Finora, and Finvarra.

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Ardal, Ardgal

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  • Origin: Gaelic
  • Meaning: “high valour.”
  • Gender: masculine
  • AR-dahl

Ardghal is composed of the Gaelic àrd (high; tall) and gal (valour). The name was borne by Ardgal mac Conaill (circ. 6th-century), the 3rd king of Uisnech.

A notable modern bearer is Irish actor, Ardal O’Hanlon.

Other forms include:

  • Ardal (English)
  • Árdghal (Gaelic)
  • Ardghar (Gaelic)
  • Ardgalus (Late Latin)

Sources

Faolán, Phelan, Fillin

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  • Origin: Gaelic
  • Meaning: “little wolf.”
  • Gender: masculine
  • Gaelic (FWAY-lahn); Eng (FAY-len; FIL-lin)

The name is derived from the Gaelic, faol, meaning “wolf” and the diminutive suffix –án. It is borne by 3 Medieval Saints from Ireland, 2 who settled in Scotland and another that did missionary work in Frankish Brabant.

There is a Cathedral dedicated to St. Foillan of Brabant in Aachen, Germany.

It is the ancestor of several Irish and Scottish surnames, such as Fylan, Hyland, MacClellan, MacClelland, Mac Giolla Fhaoláin, McClellan, McClelland, Ó Faoláin, Phelan, Whalen & Whelan.

Fillan is also the name of a place in Norway, but the name is probably of a separate etymology.

Other forms include:

  • Foillan (Dutch, French, German)
  • Phillan (English)
  • Feuillien (French)
  • Folien (French)
  • Foilan (French)
  • Pholien (French)
  • Foillano (Italian)
  • Fillano (Italian)
  • Foilanus/Foillanus (Late Latin)
  • Fáelán (Old Irish)
  • Felano (Spanish)

Sources

Pippin, Pépin

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The name is Germanic and of disputed meaning. It is most likely derived from a Germanic element bib- meaning “to tremble,” which formed an etymological basis for the Late Latin nickname, pippinus (little child). This same root is related to the modern French word, pépin, which means “seed” or “pulp” in French, but also a “glitch” in modern French slang.

This was a name that appeared among the Carolingian rulers of the Franks. It was most notably borne by King Pepin the Short (8th-century CE), father of Charlemagne, as well as Pepin of Landen, an ancestor, who was revered as a saint in Belgium (6th-century CE).

Pépin appeared in the French Top 500 between 1902-1945, peaking at #358 in 1942.

Its Dutch form of Pepijn (PEP-pine) currently appears in Netherlands’ Top 100, coming in as the 64th most popular male name in the Netherlands (2019).

Forms and usages in other languages are as follows:

  • Pepyn (Afrikaans, Frisian)
  • Pippin (Alemmanish, English, Estonian, German, Letzburgerish, Swedish)
  • Pepín (Aragonese)
  • Pipí (Catalan)
  • Pepin (Czech, English, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak, Walloon)
  • Pipin (Danish, English, Finnish, German, Norwegian)
  • Pepijn, Pippijn (Dutch)
  • Pépin (French, Gaelic)
  • Pipino (Italian, Spanish)
  • Pêpenê (Kurdish)
  • Pippinus (Late Latin)
  • Pepinas, Pipinas (Lithuanian)
  • Pepino (Portuguese)

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Frank

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Dagobert III, King of the Franks

  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: “Frankish, free”
  • Gender: Masculine

From the name of an ancient Germanic people who ultimately settled in what is now France and the Netherlands, the origin of the name itself is somewhat disputed. A popular etymology is that it comes from the Old German frank (free). Others contend that it comes from a Germanic word for “javelin” or its linked with an Old Germanic root word meaning “bold, fierce; insolent.”

As a given-name, it has been in use since the 8th-century, preceding the use of the name of Francis, of which Frank later became a popular diminutive. The name of the country of France and its old currency of francs, gets its name from the Franks.

Frank was a very popular name in the U.S. at the turn of the 20th-century. Its appeared in the U.S. Top 10 between 1881-1922, peaking at #6 between 1880-1892. As of 2018, it was the 392nd most popular male name. His rankings in other countries are as follows:

  • #32 (Sweden, 2018)
  • #155 (England & Wales, 2018)

Frank is also used in Estonia, Finland, French-speaking countries, Dutch-speaking countries, German-speaking countries and Scandinavia.

Other forms include:

  • Franker (Danish)
  • Franck (French)
  • Frang (Gaelic, Scandinavian)
  • Franko (German)
  • Franco (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish)
  • Francen (Dutch, archaic)
  • Vranck (Dutch, archaic)
  • Frake (Finnish)
  • Frankku, Prankku (Finnish)
  • Fränk (Letzbergerisch)
  • Vranken (Middle Dutch)

Feminine forms include:

  • Franka (Czech, German, Dutch)
  • France (French)
  • Franca (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish)

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Marcus, Mark

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Il_Pordenone_-_San_Marco_-_Budapest

From one of the most common Roman praenomen, its origin and meaning is uncertain. A popular etymology is that it relates to Mars, others suggest it may be from the Etruscan Marce, which may come from mar (to harvest). It is said the name was originally bestowed on those who were born in March.

Marcellus and the name of the month of March likely shares the same etymological root.

It was borne by several notable Romans, including Mark Antony, Marcus Aurelius & Cicero.

It was the name of one of the Evangelists who authored the eponymous Gospel, known as St. Mark in the Christian world, he is revered as the founder of Christianity in Africa and is traditionally believed to have founded the Church in Alexandria. Coptic Christians hold him in high regard. His bones were smuggled out of Egypt in a barrel of pork fat by Venetian merchants from Alexandria when Egypt fell under Islamic rule and were transported back to Venice where they were eventually installed and dedicated in the Basilica of San Marco.

The name was borne by a 2nd-century pope as well.

Marcus, Mark and Marc have been quite popular in several countries. Marcus was in the U.S. Top 100 between 1970-2000, Sweden’s between 1998-2008, New Zealand’s between 2008-2014, England & Wales between 1996-2003, and in Denmark’s between 1994-2006. Currently, his rankings in other countries are as follows:

  • #54 (Canada, BC, 2018)
  • #87 (Australia, 2018)
  • #100 (Norway, 2018)
  • #209 (United States, 2018)
  • #213 (France, 2018)
  • #236 (England & Wales, 2018)
  • #406 (Netherlands, 2018)

Its latinate form of Marco, which started off as a mainly Italian form, became widespread across the continent. His rankings in the following countries are as follows:

  • #11 (Galicia, Spain, 2018)
  • #16 (Spain, 2018_
  • #23 (Italy, 2018)
  • #65 (Catalonia, Spain, 2018)
  • #81 (Portugal, 2018)
  • #358 (United States, 2018)
  • #436 (England & Wales, 2018)
  • #446 (France, 2018)

It’s English form of Mark appears in the legend of Tristan & Isolde as the name of the King of Cornwall, supposedly the name was not common in the English-speaking world until the 19th-century, but became a hit by the Mid-1900s. Mark appeared in the U.S. Top 100 between 1944-2002, which is quite a long stretch. Mark peaked the highest in popularity between 1955-1970, peaking at #6, six years in a row between 1959-1964.  Marks’s rankings in other countries are as follows:

  • #5 (Slovenia, 2018)
  • #6 (Moscow, Russia, 2018)
  • #21 (Hungary, 2018)
  • #83 (Ireland, 2018)
  • #210 (U.S., 2018)
  • #253 (England & Wales, 2018)
  • #298 (the Netherlands, 2018)

Marc is the French, Catalan & Welsh form and has been popularly used in the English-speaking world, it is currently the most popular male name in Catalonia, 2018 and between 1968-1976 it was in the U.S. Top 100. Marc’s rankings in the popularity charts are as follows

  • #26 (Spain, 2018)
  • #313 (France, 2018)
  • #825 (US, 2018)

Other forms of the name include:

  • Mark Марк (Albanian, Belarusian, Breton, Dutch, English, Maltese, Russian, Ukrainian)
  • Marḳos ማርቆስ (Amharic)
  • Marqus مَرْقُس‎ (Arabic, mainly used among Arab-Christians)
  • Marghos (Armenian)
  • Marko (Basque)
  • Marko Марко (Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Finnish, Macedonian, Serbian, Slovene, Ukrainian)
  • Markos Μαρκος Ⲙⲁⲣⲕⲟⲥ (Coptic, Greek)
  • Margh (Cornish)
  • Marcu (Corsican, Romanian)
  • Mokus (Croatian, Serbian)
  • Marek (Czech, Polish, Slovak)
  • Marco (Catalan, Dutch, Galician, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish)
  • Marc (Catalan, French, Occitanian, Welsh)
  • Marcus (Dutch, English, German, French, Scandinavian)
  • Markus (Dutch, Estonian, Faroese, Finnish, Frisian, German, Scandinavian)
  • Marghus (Estonian)
  • Markko, Markku (Finnish)
  • Marke (Finnish)
  • Marcas (Gaelic)
  • Marx (German, archaic)
  • Maleko (Hawaiian)
  • Márk (Hungarian)
  • Markús (Icelandic)
  • Marchino (Italian)
  • Marcolino (Italian)
  • Marcuccio (Italian)
  • Mareks (Latvian)
  • Marks (Latvian)
  • Markuss (Latvian)
  • Markas, Morkus (Lithuanian)
  • March (Lombard)
  • Markys (Manx)
  • Marquét (Poitvin, diminutive form)
  • Marcos (Portuguese, Spanish)
  • Kusi (Swiss-German diminutive form)
  • Marqōs ܡܪܩܘܣ‎ (Syriac)
  • Mår (Walloon)

It’s feminine forms include Marca but and sometimes Marcia was used as a feminine form, though it is more the feminine equivalent of Marcius.

Other feminine forms include:

  • Markusine (German, obscure)
  • Marchina (Italian)
  • Marcolina (Italian)
  • Marcuccia (Italian)

Sources

Cathasach

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Tara_stone

Tara Stone

  • Origin: Irish-Gaelic
  • Meaning: “vigilant.”
  • Gender: Masculine
  • Pronunciation: KATH-e-Sakh

The name is derived from the Gaelic word for “vigilant,” and was a relatively common name in Medieval Ireland. It was borne by a 7th-century Irish king of Ulster. It is sometimes spelled as Cathassach. Today it is very rare but its legacy has been left behind in the surname of Casey (meaning descendant of Cathesach), which is also sometimes used as a unisex given-name in the English-speaking world, though it is not recommended.

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