Cronaca: The naming of the green

March 17, 2006

The naming of the green

Many popular male first names commonly thought of as being Irish, such as Patrick, Mick and Sean, actually originated with the English and the French-Danish-Norwegian Normans, who invaded Ireland in the 12th century and led to radical changes in the way Irish families named their children, according to a new study. . .
Verstraten told Discovery News, "Patrick was not a popular name in Ireland until well after the Middle Ages, but it was used more commonly in conjunction with 'Giolla' and 'Maol'— both these words indicate a religious subservience: the name 'Giolla Pádraig' or 'Maol Pádraig' would basically mean something like 'servant of Patrick.'"

Seán Duffy, senior lecturer in medieval history at Trinity, told Discovery News that he agreed with the new study.

He said, "Archetypal Irish names in Irish America, such as Patty and Mick, really are more a product of the Roman Catholic Renaissance (which occurred well after the Anglo-Norman invasion in 1167 A.D.). The clergy tried to wipe out traditional Irish names by replacing them with Biblical names."

Full article here.

Posted by David on March 17, 2006 5:14 PM

Comments

The Discovery report doesn't seem to distinguish "anglicized" from "Anglicanized," or Canon Law from "canonical laws," which might provoke doubts about the other details it gives! And, of course, the etymology of Patrick, and his own British birth, while true, aren't strictly relevant to whether the name was in common use in Pre-Norman Ireland.

But, even as reported, the study seems to fit an impression, from just looking again at the indexes to some of the eleven volumes of the "Gill History of Ireland," of a shifting onomastic pool. (Which is not a big surprise.)

However, I wonder if the stock of names in Ireland was, to put it more exactly, Europeanized, with specific details mediated through England. I would think that there were parallel developments elsewhere (Scandinavia, for example), as Church policy took hold. Which, indeed, may be a point in the study cited.

Posted by: Ian Myles Slater on March 17, 2006 6:44 PM