Surnames are relatively new in human history. While most names translate into one or more categories: places, personal characteristics, occupations, and relationships to someone else; some surname meanings are lost in history. Exploring family names and their translation into English can uncover interesting or powerful secrets.
There are many places to search for the meanings of names, but be especially cautious of those that give you a single definition and a coat of arms. A Coat of Arms was designed for a specific person for a particular purpose.
Powerful Color Names
Growing up with a color name has made me fond of color translations so I will start here.
Red, Bright, Fire
It seems the Irish (or at least my Irish ancestors) had a focus on red hair.
- McGee – Son of Fire
- Kelly, Callaghan, Callahan – Bright-headed (among many other things)
- Reid – Red hair or red complexion
- Kenney, McKenna – originally a medieval name of Old Irish, Old Scottish, or Pictish, probably meaning born into fire
Black, Dark
For me, Duffy tops this list. But much to my surprise Duggan and Dugan also translate to black. The Duffy clans or septs are from northern Irish counties, while the Duggan/Dugan clans are from central or southern Irish counties. Despite my pasty white skin, I am black Irish!
Unusual Occupation Names
Fish, Fisc, Fisk, Fyche
This one is not too hard to guess. Somewhere, a long time ago, these Anglo-Saxons had fish-related occupations. The Fish families migrated to England, Ireland, and Scandinavia.
O’Malley
O’Malley translates to “descendant of a nobleman.” This name’s most famous and exciting noblewoman is the Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley of County Mayo. My dad was fascinated with the Pirate Queen and the possible connections between the Duffys and O’Malleys before they came to America. With my health issues, that research has fallen to Colin, the most recent generation of Duffy-O’Malley.
Joyce has a similar meaning and was brought to Ireland by the Bretons.
Maloney
I will not try getting the Irish accent marks in the name, but Maloney was O’Maoldhamhnaigh in Irish. And it means a descendant of a church servant. My great-great-grandfather, Edward Maloney, a sailor and then a pub owner, reportedly abandoned his wife and family because his wife drank too much. To be fair, Annie might have drank too much. She had 11 children in 16 years, and only two lived past childhood. Their home was above the pub in Chicago.
Dramatic Characteristic Names
- Carney – warlike
- Kelly, Callaghan, Callahan – war, strife
- Spratt – elf, slender, small pole
Jack Spratt
Jack Spratt was an English idiom for a man of small stature.
Jack Spratt could eat no fat.
His wife could eat no lean.
But, together both,
They licked the platter clean.
English Nursery Rhyme
Place Names
Place names as surnames come in two flavors. Some are tied to standard topographical terms like valley, river, and field. Others are connected to formal or informal place names where the O’ means “from” instead of “descendant of.” But sometimes, a surname means both.
Parr
This is from the Old English pearr meaning enclosure. There is a pearr in Lancashire County, England that became Parr. The town, church, and family all became known as Parr. Poor Anne Parr, wife of Henry VIII, is part of this family as are some of us.
Featherston, Featherstone, Featherstonehaugh
These are the English versions of the name. The Irish versions start with Fether. “Featherstone” is probably from the English “feudal stone,” which was the location where the peasants paid the Lord what they owed him.
The Featherston families dropped the e from stone, added it back, and added and dropped the “haugh.” Haugh means one side of a valley, and at one time, our family had a castle built in a valley on one side of the River Tyne. That is when the “haugh” was first added.
How and when the family went from a castle to the Oliver Twist lifestyle of our child convict, Thomas, is still a mystery.
Relationship Names
The M’, Mc, and Mac initially meant “son of” and the O’ meant “descendant of” whatever followed.
Poland
If our Margaret Poland was English or German, Poland would have been a place name. But if she had been Irish, the name would translate to “son of little Paul.” So far, Margaret just appeared in Maryland on a marriage license without any reference to other family members. Maybe someday, someone will figure out her family.
Burns, Byrnes
This is likely to be O’Brion in Irish, meaning descendant of Bran. Bran means the bird Raven, but it is also the first name of the primary character in a famous Irish tale called the Voyage of Bran. The Voyage of Bran is similar in concept to the Greek Oddysey and Scandinavian sea voyage tales.
McGeough Names
If anyone remembers the old cartoon, Mr. Magoo, you know how to pronounce this name at least, as well as any native English speaker. English doesn’t have the exact sound for this vowel combination. Two clans had their name anglicized to McGeough. Our McGeough’s are probably from the first clan below based on location.
Mag Eothach of the McKeogh
This Clan lived in the Counties of Armagh, Monaghan, and Louth. They are descendants of Niall of Nine Hostages, a legendary High King of Ireland. Niall died before the term High King was used, but he was undoubtedly a significant power in Ireland.
O’ Causchain of the Hy Fiachrach
The members of this sept are descendants of Fiachra, half-brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages. They mainly settled in County Mayo.
More Family Name Translations
Anyone wanting to research before the reunion can look up more family names. Some are easy – Ivanovich is the son of Ivan, just as Peterson is the son of Peter.
Strassner probably has something to do with living on a street (Strasse), and Towner probably has something to do with living in a town.
Some names may be harder to find translations.
