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ArchivesA question about anglicizing Gaelic names
My question basically is, do you have to pick either the original form or the anglicized form, or could they have the original form on the birth certificate and always get called by the anglicized form, or even the other way around (I know of a Hector who I think sometimes got called Eachann)?
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Either is acceptable depending on taste. I know a Róise(her official name) and her parents intended to call her Rosie as a NN (it didn't stick though).
Similarly I knew a girl from an Irish speaking area of Donegal. Her parents were quite unsophisticated and considered Irish to be a home thing and that they had to give their children official English names which would never be used in private life. So my friend was registered as Susan and called Siobhán and so on, her brother Peter was Peadar, etc.
Being registered as one and using another version is quite usual here. My uncle is John officially but always went by Seán in part(to distinguish himself from his uncle with the same name I think.)
From what I have observed it is more common to have an English version and go by the Irish version especially in older people. I am not sure if this has something to do with the fact that earlier generations were educated all through the medium of Irish and would had have to use the Irish versions of their name in school.
Also it not be unusual for an Irish person, who had a English or other non Irish name, to get interested in the Irish language(and naybe work in that sector) and to Hibernisise their name. This is more usual for surnames though.
Hope this helped.
Similarly I knew a girl from an Irish speaking area of Donegal. Her parents were quite unsophisticated and considered Irish to be a home thing and that they had to give their children official English names which would never be used in private life. So my friend was registered as Susan and called Siobhán and so on, her brother Peter was Peadar, etc.
Being registered as one and using another version is quite usual here. My uncle is John officially but always went by Seán in part(to distinguish himself from his uncle with the same name I think.)
From what I have observed it is more common to have an English version and go by the Irish version especially in older people. I am not sure if this has something to do with the fact that earlier generations were educated all through the medium of Irish and would had have to use the Irish versions of their name in school.
Also it not be unusual for an Irish person, who had a English or other non Irish name, to get interested in the Irish language(and naybe work in that sector) and to Hibernisise their name. This is more usual for surnames though.
Hope this helped.
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