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Medieval Scotland | Scottish Names Resources
Historical Name Generator: 16th C. Gaelic Names | Irish Gael

Historical Name Generator:
Sixteenth Century Irish and Scottish Gaelic Names

Irish Gaelic Woman

3. Byname Type

An Irish Gaelic woman could use two different kinds of bynames (surnames) in her name. One was a patronymic byname which indicated who her father was, usually by his given name, that is, his first name. A patronymic byname did not say anything at all about what clan she belonged to! The other kind of byname was a clan affiliation byname which did indicate what clan she belonged to (by indicating that she was the daughter of a man of that clan).

Sometimes the same Irish woman would be identified by her patronymic byname, sometimes by her clan affiliation byname, and sometimes by both together. In the future this Historical Name Generator will show all three permutations of a woman's name, but for now it can be used for the patronymic byname only or for the clan affiliation byname only (but not both together).

Should this name indicate who her father was (patronymic) or what clan she is a member of (clan affiliation)?

Patronymic (indicating who her father was)
Clan Affiliation (indicating what clan she is a member of)

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