Norse Code: Viking Names Hidden in Irish Surnames

Céad Míle Fáilte – and welcome to your Letter from Ireland for this week on Viking names. We’re well and truly into the darker time of the year here in Ireland. The fires are lit early, and there are family gatherings and stories to be shared each evening. How are things in your part of the world today?

I’m having a cup of Barry’s tea – and I do hope you will have a cup of whatever you fancy as we start into today’s letter. 

Let me start with a question – do you have Viking (Norse) DNA in your Irish line? Maybe you have a fascination for the time of the Vikings? Well, you are in luck as we shall be featuring a special Viking series of the Letter from Ireland through November. Each letter this month will focus on a different aspect of the Vikings and their ties with the Irish and Ireland.

In my own family, I have “Norse” DNA on my mother’s side. Her mother had the surname of “Dolphin” (probably derived from the Old Norse “dólgr” – meaning “mortal enemy” and “Finn”) – a family that settled in County Galway about a thousand years ago.

So, let’s start by examining the legacy of Viking names on many of our shared Irish surnames.

Norse Code: Viking Names Hidden in Irish Surnames.

When the Vikings began to settle on the coast of Ireland in the 9th century, they brought with them not just longships and battle axes, but also many distinctive Viking names. Over time, these Norse names blended with Irish naming conventions, creating a unique collection of Irish-Norse surnames that persist to this day.

Let’s unravel some of this Norse code:

Take the name Doyle, for instance. It sounds as Irish as could be, doesn’t it? But, in fact, it comes from the old Irish name “Dubh-ghall”, meaning “dark foreigner”. The Irish used this name to distinguish the darker-haired Danes from lighter-haired Norwegians and the name became popular in many of the newly-established Viking cities along the coast of Ireland. It’s a linguistic snapshot of a time when different Viking groups were still identifiable to the native Irish.

If your name is “McLoughlin” or “O’Loughlin”, you might be interested to know that it derives from the Norse “Lochlann”, meaning “land of the lakes” – a term the Vikings used for Norway. Now that’s a descriptive link back from Ireland to the mountains and lakes of Norway!

The surname “MacAuliffe” also carries a direct link to Viking heritage. It literally means “son of Olaf” in Irish, with Olaf being a common Norse name. This is a perfect example of how these Viking names were absorbed into the Irish patronymic naming system.

Other surnames like Higgins, Hendrick, Jennings, and Kettle might not immediately bring Vikings to mind, but they too have Norse roots. Higgins comes from the Old Norse name “Uiginn”, Hendrick from “Henrik”, Jennings from “Sennin”, and Kettle from “Ketill”. So many of  these ancient Norse names have been preserved in Irish surnames, often hidden in plain sight.

Common Viking Boys’ Names in Irish Surnames.

Let’s dive deeper into some of the most popular Viking names for boys that have left their mark on Irish family names:

• The name “Ivar”, which comes from the Norse Ívarr meaning “yew warrior”, has given us the Irish surnames “MacIvor” (yes, including “McGiver” for all you fans of the 1980s show) and “McKeever”. Imagine the strong, warrior-like qualities this name must have conveyed to be so widely adopted.
• Magnus, a name particularly popular among Norse nobility, means “great” and has been preserved in the Irish surname “MacManus”. If you bear this name, you might even have a touch of Viking nobility in your lineage!
• Olaf, a Viking name common among kings and meaning “ancestor’s descendant”, has given us not only “MacAuliffe” as mentioned earlier, but also “McCaffrey”. 
• Even the name of the Norse god of thunder, Thor, has left its mark on Irish surnames. If your name is “MacTorley” or “McSorley”, you’re carrying a piece of Norse mythology in your family name.
• Some names have more subtle connections. Take “O’Beirne” or “O’Byrne”, for instance. While often associated with the Irish word for “raven”, some argue it actually comes from the Norse name Björn, meaning “bear”.

The influence of Viking names on Irish surnames is a fascinating example of how cultures blend and evolve over time. It reminds us that Irish identity, like many others, is a rich tapestry woven from many different threads. From “Doyle” to “McAuliffe”, from “McLouglin” to “McKeever”, these names carry within them a story of cultural exchange and integration spanning over a thousand years.

Remember, while these names have Norse roots – sometimes direct and sometimes indirect – families bearing these surnames today are thoroughly Irish, with centuries of Irish history and culture shaping their identities. The Viking influence is just one chapter in the long and complex story of Irish naming traditions.

How about you? Do you have a surname that may have Viking origins? Or perhaps a family story about Norse ancestors? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below. 

That’s it for this week,

Slán for now,

Mike.