Irish Baby Names - History and Origin

The meaning of baby names of irish origin liesBoyne by William of Orange (the Dutch
hundreds of years back in the Irish gaelicProtestant prince who
languagewas offered the English throne by Parliament)in
of the ancient Celts who migrated from Central1690.So the first name origins of Irish Christian
Europenames and
before the foundation of the Roman Empire.Thesurnames lie overwhelmingly in this gaelic Celtic
Celts DominantThose Celts who came to Britain,culture
France and Irelandwhich was totally dominant until the end of the
were dominant for a long period. With the spread19th century.
ofOnly at this point do we see English culture
the Roman Empire, the Celts gradually weremaking inroads
pushed backin language, games and of course in first name
into North Western France (modern Brittany withorigins.In fact, this was not voluntary as primary
itsschools were
distinct Breton language), Western Britainestablished in all the major towns from the
(Cornwall1830's onwards
and Wales), Northern Britain (Isle of Man andwhere English was the only language of
Scotland),instruction and Irish
and the island of Ireland which was nevergaelic was forbidden.First name origins of Celtic
conquered bydescent
the Romans.As a result of Ireland's separategradually declined and English baby names
development from Romanbecame popular for
influence, the gaelic language and way of life wasthe first time.Irish RevivalBy the end of the 19th
muchcentury, Irish was in crisis and
less diluted than in Scotland or Wales. Again theEnglish totally dominant in all the commercial, legal
influenceand
of the Anglo-Normans and later the English wascultural spheres of Irish life. At this time
less inorganisations
Ireland because of the difficulty of establishingto stem the English tide were established such as
controlthe Gaelic
in the country other than a few coastal townsAthletic Association(to foster the games of
such ashurling and
Dublin.The English kings' governor sat in Dublingaelic football), and the Gaelic League to prevent
Castle issuingthe
edicts against native Irish habits in dress, customdecline of the Irish language.This brings us up to
andthe present where the meaning of baby
language, only to have them ignored in aboutnames of most first names in Ireland are English
80% of thein origin or
country with the exception of the areas aroundanglicisations of native Irish names.This bilingual
Dublinmelange
called The Pale where the English army heldwill continue. It remains to be seen whether first
sway.Gradual English ControlThis situationname origins
continued for hundreds of years until theof Irish gaelic ancestry will increase as they have
English asserted an uneasy control at the end ofbeen doing,
the 17thor whether the sea of Anglo-American influence
century with the defeat of James 11 at thewill predominate.
Battle of the