2006-11-07 14:53:13 · 8 answers · asked by E O 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Genealogy
Son of
2006-11-07 14:54:26 · answer #1 · answered by October 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
O is really a word all by itself, it means "grandson". Only in recent
years has it been attached to the surname with an apostrophe.
The prefixes of "O'", "Mc", and "Mac" are common in Irish surnames. These are all references to ancestry.
The à in the Irish names means "descendant of". In various situations in history, typically upon immigration to a non-Irish-speaking country, Irish people's names were Anglicized; that is, they were converted into similar sounding English names, or written down with English spelling rules. That's where the English forms of the names come from. Sometimes they kept the O at the beginning, sometimes not.
2006-11-07 14:56:04 · answer #2 · answered by ALIENbleep 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
à means son of as does Mac/Mc. The female variant of à is Nà for daughter Nic for Mac/Mc.
Therefore Séan Mac Donnacha is Sean son of Donnacha and Siobhan Nic Donnacha is SÃobhan daughter of Donnacha.
and
Peader O'Berine is Peader son of Beirne and Bróna Nà Beirne is Bróna daughter of Beirne.
The usage of the O/NÃ and Mac/Nic are dying out and are mainly used when people dont wish to use the anglisied versions.
2006-11-08 22:23:25 · answer #3 · answered by eorpach_agus_eireannach 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Son of
its just like Mc in a Scottish surname
2006-11-07 14:55:44 · answer #4 · answered by DonnyD 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The prefixes of Mac and O denote descent: Mac means son of, while O indicates that the name derives from a grandfather or earlier ancestor
2006-11-07 15:07:52 · answer #5 · answered by rainysnana 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It means it is Irish!
2006-11-07 14:54:28 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Of, as in of the clan of. O'Donovan is of the house or clan of Donovan. O'Reilly is of the house, clan, or family of Reilly.
2006-11-07 14:54:56 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
it means 'Son Of'
2006-11-07 14:54:45 · answer #8 · answered by Kay 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋