COMMON MCGINLEY FIRST NAMES

PERSONAL NAMES (Pre 1890)

This is a list of the most common personal names in use among our clan prior to the 1890’s. You will see that most of the names are ancient traditional Gaelic names. After the 1890’s, we see a steady decrease in the use of such traditional names, both among the McGinleys and in the greater Irish world. Names such as James, John, Mary and Elizabeth became more common. In the past few years however, we can see a steady return to our native names with Conall, for example, being used again (among boys). Before the destruction of the Gaelic System in the early 1600's, the giving of first names was taken very seriously by the Irish. At birth a child was given a 'temporary' name taken from a very small list of names. This list included such names as Saoirbhreathach 'free birth' (Anglicised as Justin), Fearganainm 'man without a name' (Anglicised as Ferdinand) and many more. The first name proper was not usually given to a child until at least two years of age, often much later. A proper name was chosen when the parent decided what best suited the child. Therefore...if a child was called Donncha it surely meant that he had brownish hair and had a warrior spirit! A name like Ruairí indicated that he had red hair. Sometimes a third name change would occur in young adulthood if the said person was responsible for a great feat. For example, the earlier name of St Colm Cille was Criomhthainn 'a fox' indicating very clearly that he had red hair. The famous Cú Chulainn was as a young boy called Sétanta. It was not until the 1800's that this practice finally died out among the Irish. It is fairly acurate to say that the first names of McGinleys prior to that time gave some indication about the look or features of the individual.

MALE NAMES

IRISH FORM Mánas

PRONOUNCIATION Maunus/Maanus

ENGLISH FORM Magnus, Manus

Historically, the most common personal name for males within the McGinley clan was Mánas. This Irish Gaelic name was used for centuries within the clan. It was also used by some other Donegal clans such as the Gallaghers, Sweeneys and the O’Donnells. The older Irish Gaelic form, and still in us, is Maghnus (the gh being silent). This name ultimately derives from the Norse personal name Magnus and therefore means ‘great’. They used it in honour of Charlemagne (Carolus the Great). For a long time the name was rare in other parts of Ireland.

Cathal

Kahul

Charles

This is another native Irish personal name that has been common among the McGinley clan since the seventeenth century. It ultimately derives from ancient Celtic katu-valo-s and means ‘battle mighty’, ‘mighty in battle’. It was common in other Donegal families such as the O’Donnells and also in some north Connacht families such as the Maguires.

Donncha

Dunaha

Denis, Duncan

This is an old Irish Gaelic personal name meaning ‘brown haired warrior’. The older spelling in Gaelic is Donnchadh (the final dh being silent) and this form is still in use today in Ireland. It was used among McGinleys in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and in some other Donegal families. It has been anglicised usually as Denis and occasionally as Duncan (in Scotland this is the usual anglicised form).

Ruairí

Rooiree

Rory, Roger, Roderick

Another common early personal name found within the McGinley clan, the first on record was a priest in the early 1400's. It was used much in the 1500’s, 1600’s and the 1700’s. It was shared with other Donegal clans. The name derives from the old Irish Gaelic words ruadh meaning ‘red haired’ coupled with rí meaning ‘a king’. The older spelling of Ruaidhrí (the dh is silent) can still be found in use. It was early anglicised as Roger and Roderick, but more commonly as Rory today.

Toirealach

Turuluch

Terence

This is an ancient Irish name meaning ‘shaped like Thor’, the Norse God of thunder. The name is usually anglicised as Terence but it has on some rare occasions been changed to Charles. The older Gaelic spelling was Toirdhealach. It was a common personal name among the McGinleys in the 1600’s (possibly earlier) up to the start of the twentieth century. It was also used in Donegal among the Sweeney clan and the O’Donnells. A modern variant form Traolach has developed (pronounced Trailuch).

 

FEMALE NAMES

Here is a list of the most common female personal names in use among the McGinley Clan prior to the 1890's. The names, as we can see, are mostly native Irish Gaelic personal names of great vintage. After this period, we see a marked decline in the use of the traditional female Gaelic names (Mary, Elizabeth, Jane etc taking over). This has started to change again with more people using the ancient Irish Gaelic personal names again. The name Bríd has been in constant use for centuries whether by Gaelic forms (Brighid, Bríd) or English forms (Bridget, Breedge, Bridie).

Bríd

Breedge

Breedge/Bridget

The most common female personal name used among our tribe was without doubt Bríd, a name that is anglicised as Breedge and Bridget with the pet form of Bridie. The older Irish Gaelic form was Brighid and it can still be found occasionally. Bríd is an ancient Celtic name named after the Celtic goddess and derives the meaning of ‘strength’ from the old word brigh. Bríd was the ancient Celtic goddess of poetry. Her memory was ‘taken over’ by the Christians who sanctified her and afterwards she was known as the celebrated St Bríd of Kildare, patroness of Ireland. It did not become a common name among the Irish until the late 1500’s.

Máire

Maura/Maaira

Mary, Moira

This very common name among the McGinleys, has been used among us since the early 1600’s, certainly not much earlier. It is of course well used in the general Irish population also. The name is of ancient Hebrew origin most likely meaning ‘bitterness’ in the sense of grief or sorrow. The name is of course given in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. It was unknown as a personal name in Europe before the eleventh century. In Ireland it was very rare before the seventeenth century.

Mór

Moar

Mary

This very rare Irish female name was the most common female name of all time in Ireland. It was extremely common up until the eighteenth century when it was absorbed into or superceded by Mary/Máire (and may account for a few Martha's as well). It is hard to imagine now, just how common it was. The name means 'great, big, important'. It was probably often given to the first born girl in a family. One of the wives of Ciothruadh Mag Fhionnghail was called Mór (late 1400's/early 1500's). The name is slowly being revived in Ireland in recent years.