Looking back to the olden days, you learn about things that you thought wouldn’t be real – like banning surnames.
The stories about those bans exist, though. Besides actual bans, the names were anglicised and changed so much that part of the identity was lost with them.
This happened centuries ago. When the English ruled over Ireland. We’re looking at 5 names that were targeted for various reasons.
O’Neill – banned, yet popular
You’d have to be a pretty serious source of trouble if the Queen herself bans your name, don’t you think? That’s what you hear a lot, at least. In the 16th century, Sean (or Shane) O’Neill was causing major problems for Elizabeth I.
The story goes that the name was banned – and using it was punishable by death or having your property confiscated. However, O’Neill is one of the most popular Irish surnames worldwide, so it clearly didn’t stay banned forever.
O’Donnell – losing the O
Another O name is joining the list. The O’Donnells of TÃr Chonaill were similar to the O’Neills when it came to being trouble and resisting English rule. They were targeted during the Nine Years’ War.
The name started being associated with rebellion. To avoid discrimination, many families dropped the O in official records. O’Donnell was then Donnell – but the name got its O back and is now one of the coolest Irish surnames.
MacCarthy – changed and anglicised
The MacCarthy clan was a powerful Gaelic dynasty. While the name MacCarthy wasn’t banned per se, it was subject to anglicisation, removing or shortening the Mac – perhaps to weaken the clan’s influence?
The name is closely associated with the counties Cork and Kerry – and it survived and can still be found today. You can also visit several medieval ruins in Ireland – some of which once belonged to the MacCarthy clan.
O’Brien – associated with the High King of Ireland
The name O’Brien means descendant of Brian – the Brian in question here is none other than Brian Boru himself, High King of Ireland. Like other powerful families at the time, the O’Briens became associated with old Irish rule during the anglicisation of Ireland.
The name wasn’t banned explicitly, but many families dropped the O in official records. That’s how surnames such as Brien and Bryan appeared over time. As you can see, the name has quite an interesting history and origins.
O’Connor – targeted, but returned
Another name heavily affected by these changes was O’Connor. While not fully banned, the name was anglicised like so many others under English rule, dropping the O. Some claim that it removed the Irish identity. That resulted in surnames like Connor or Conner.
However, anglicising the name often helped in those times to find employment and navigate daily life. After the Irish independence, a cultural revival happened, and many names, including O’Connor, put the O back where it once was.
As you can see, there may have been an actual ban. Often, names got changed a lot to sound and look more English. However, what all those names have in common is how much history is attached to them, and that they reclaimed their Irish identity.
