On the other hand O’ as in “O’Boyle” is usually
Irish. “O’” is the English transition from the Irish language
Ui
meaning “of the race” or “family. (It is sometimes thought and used to mean
“Grandson of.)
Name and Clan Research Sources
Probably the most respected written source of
information on surnames is Surnames of Scotland: Their
Origin, Meaning and History by George F. Black, published by the New York
Public Library and Readex Books, reprinted in 1999. A good book on clans
and tartans associated with surnames is Tartan for Me! -
Suggested Tartans for Scottish, Scotch-Irish, Irish and North American Surnames
with Lists of Clan, Family and District Tartans, by Philip D. Smith, Jr.,
published by Heritage Books, 65th East Main Street, Westminster, Maryland
21157-5026. The most recent edition is the Eighth Edition
published in
2005.
In our opinion the best all around on-line source of information is www.ElectricScotland.com The site has a wealth of information on a variety of Scottish-related subjects. The link below will take you to the “Scottish and Irish Clans and Families” page. From there you can connect with many clan society web pages and obtain information on the clans, their chiefs, their tartans, and their historic locations in Scotland.
If you already know your clan affiliation then you can
go to the clan list and from there to the clan’s web site. If you do not
know your clan then you can enter your surname in their search engine.
Just make certain that you place a check mark in the little radio button for
ElectricScotland.com. If you start by searching the web you will probably
end up with a long list of sites all over the
web.
www.ElectricScotland.com
Back
First
Page
