Unusual old names in Ireland from 1920s

[Weligama]

Thinking of old family and friends names from this era not always Gaelic in origin - possibly church related - my list includes the following - anyone else have any other suggestions:

Malachy,
Jarlath,
Cornelius
Aloysius
Jeremiah

Can’t recall many unusual female names except maybe Philomena, Immaculata, Attracta,

Well I hope if she heard that, you had to recite a decade of the rosary!!

I know an Ambrose. Perhaps he’s married to your friend. 😀

I agree with the poster recommending the 1911 census for further research - a lot of the names are quite local, either from local saints - Abina, Mogue, Malachy, Jarlath, or maybe just custom or fashion. Cissy or Baby as the name the first born girl called, (though not used at registration or baptism). because the 'rules' were observed bu most people - first boy named after father's father. second after mother's father, third after father, then move onto uncles and godparents, reverse sexes for the girls, the same names were used a lot and there were loads of abbreviations and nicknames like the classic Bridget, Biddy, Bedelia, Delia, Dilly.

Translations from Irish are not always predictable - the 19th C Siobhán in my family was Julia in English, the 'official' translation would be Johanna or Joan or Hannah, but it was also translated as Judith.

There's a protestant/catholic thing particularly in Ulster - Old Testament names, particularly Sam, Samuel, are Protestant, New Testament names like Peter and Luke are much more frequent among Catholics. William, to some people's surprise, was popular across the board. As was Rosanne or Rosanna.

Some 'modern' saints or religious events introduced or popularised names mix for Catholic girls - Jacinta (and Lucia, less new) after the apparition at Fatima, Gemma, Lourda, Bernadette, Therese, Carmel, Imelda, Goretti.

This is the older but imo easier to use version of the Census listing - you can view 100 returns per page, and can ask it to show you religion, profession and other stuff. With a common name, selecting one sex and an age range so that you have fewer returns can give you an idea if there's a geographic factor in the name use.

www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/

In my family there are a few Florences, one known as Flo one Florrie. Lots of Davids and Johns across 3 generations. There's Mary, Moira, Olive, Edna, Maura and Angela. Also Raymond, Mossie, Eddie and a few Jeremiahs and Gerards.

Is Florence traditional in the McCarthy and O Donoghue families? I've met a couple of Justin McCarthys too.

Irish naming traditions are to name your kids after their parental grandparents, then maternal, then their parents, and then you can get creative. My youngest aunt, youngest of 12, was named by her elder sisters as my poor Granny was totally out of name ideas.

I actually don't know, my maternal grandmother had it in her family, her aunt her grandmother, her sister and then my Mum and my cousin. I know my grans maiden name, its an unusual name but don't know beyond that. I know a Justin Mccarthy too and I've met 3 Eoin O'Neills!

Florence as a man's name is definitely a McCarthy thing.

179 of them in the 1911 census, but only 22 male Florence O'Dono(g)hues.

Quite a few (O)Sullivans and (O)Driscolls too.

There are parts of the north of Ireland where it used to be very common to call your son by his mother's maiden name. I've known umpteen men called Johnston and Thompson, also Fraser, Carlisle,Stafford, Nelson...it died out mid 20th century I guess though it's now becoming trendy to give boys very surname-y names.

This is the older but imo easier to use version of the Census listing - you can view 100 returns per page, and can ask it to show you religion, profession and other stuff. With a common name, selecting one sex and an age range so that you have fewer returns can give you an idea if there's a geographic factor in the name use.

I think that's much easier to use too. I don't know why it's being/been changed.

O'Sullivan, O'Driscoll, O'Donoghue and McCarthy are all West Cork names, and using Florence for a man is also a West Cork thing. I grew up there so I am just basing that on what I grew up with rather than research!

Coleman is a common one in Galway. One I came across recently is Festus, nn Festie or Feshtie.

I don’t know about O’Donoghue, but definitely a McCarthy thing. In fact, I only discovered recently that my BIL, a McCarthy, is actually a Florence, but uses his middle name for everyday purposes. As does his entire large roster of siblings, none of whom use their name as it appears on their birth certificate.

My best Cork names experience was when a 1st year group I was tutoring had two John [Typical Cork Name]s, so we asked for their middle name. And found we had two John Jeremiah [Typical Cork Name]s, so we asked their confirmation names and found we had two John Jeremiah Gerard [Typical Cork Name]s so we asked where they lived, and classified them as Cork city and county Cork. Job done.

Jeremiah, being a Latinate Diamuid, is therefore also Dermot, but in the past Darby was a fairly common variant. Hardly ever Jeremy - there are only four of them in the 1911 census, four of them protestant.

Bartly/Bartley was another one - more than 1,000 in 1911, mostly Catholic, it being another New Testament name, for Bartholomew - more than 1,400 of them, again almost all Catholic.

The much used Old Testament Catholic name, Daniel, is an anglicisation of Donal, which was very common in Medieval Ireland and continued in use.

I was just going to post 'DARBY - WTF?' because I could never work out what native Gaelic name it was related to, if any. So thank you for 'Diarmuid' , and I hadn't even thought of the equally WTF 'Bartley' = Bartholomew
There's also Thady or Thaddeus for Tadhg, Jarlath for Iarlaith/Iarla.

It annoys me that using the original Irish form of your name and surname is seen as being awkward or 'making a political statement'.

I knew a Cork family called McCarthy, every first son was named Justin, going back many many generations.

One of the stars of our current
✨ brilliant and successful soccer team - COYBIG!✨
is called Festy, here's a great article from the Irish Times about the name:
A Feast of Festy: A new lease of life for a colourful Irish name – The Irish Times

Wouldn't it be nice to have twins, or possibly cats, called Festy and Furzey? Cats can be named after saints, can't they?

Love that article @MarieDeGournay thanks for sharing. Agreed on the cats - but they would have to always be called by their full names so ‘come in for breakfast Saint Festy amd Saint Furzey’ - I would call mine after the nuns ‘Sister Perpetua and Sister Assumpta’

I love Thady but don’t like Tadhg.

DS (13) has a Thady, a Thaddeus and a few Tadhgs in his year.

I am sufficiently mad cat lady with Tiddles and Boo, but if Saint Furzey and Saint Festy had a sister-cat called Sister Alphonsus they could be Festy Furzey and Fonz.

I think I need to print this whole thread out for my genealogy group. Or, at least, just for me and my reference.

I knew a Cork family called McCarthy, every first son was named Justin, going back many many generations.

Justin is a McCarthy name all right. The original Cárthach, from whom the surname comes, was the son of Saoirbhreathach, which means open-minded, liberal. Justin was used to translate the name because of the similarity in meaning. So it goes way back.

Timothy, as well as Thaddeus/Thady, was often used for Tadhg. I know a few Tims who use Tadhg as the Irish form of their name.

Thanks for the link 😊

I thought Thady was Téidí (the Tay-djee) pronunciation

My cousin Tadgh used to be Tim - just as well he changed, we have another cousin Tim. And a grand uncle.

But Thady / Thaddeus is just an imaginary Latin translation of Tadhg. Still theres always the Bould Thady Quill! No better man ....

I think you might be from the same part of the country as me @Abhannmor! Should have guessed from your username (?)
I didn’t know until recently that the real Thady Quill was nothing like the character in the song.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thady_Quill

Thady is said as Tay-dee here (Co Cork) @LeeshaPaper.

Looking at Tadhg, non Irish English speakers must scratch their heads as to how to pronounce it. Tad hg 😀