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Scottish Gaelic Given Names for Women

Scottish Gaelic Given Names for Women:
Names of Scottish Gaels from Scottish Gaelic Sources

Caitrina
Draft Edition

Last updated 6 Nov 2001

This is a draft edition! It is very incomplete! See the first part of this article. You have been warned!

Pre-1600 Scottish Gaelic Evidence

The 1467 manuscript, a collection of genealogies of Scottish Gaelic families written in Ireland by a Scottish Gael and dated 1467 A.D., gives "Caitrina" as the mother of the first man named (i.e., the first generation) in the genealogy of Mac Lachlan oig.[1467 MS]

Pre-1600 Scottish Gaelic Evidence (from Documents written in Gaelic but using Scots Orthography)

The Book of the Dean of Lismore, a collection of Gaelic poetry collected in the early 16th century and recorded in Gaelic but using Scots language style spelling rather than standard Gaelic spelling, includes a poem that names a woman as "katreine" (according to the transcription published in M'Lauchlan) or "kaitrene" (according to the transcription published in Cameron). Watson's modern Gaelic version of the poem render this name as "Caitríona" and M'Lauchlan's modern Gaelic version renders it "Caitriona".[Watson, p. 104; M'Lauchlan, OG pp. 112-3; Cameron, p. 101] 

Pre-1600 Latin Language Evidence

A list of Gaels who were parishioners in Kilmacronak in Muckarne, in the west Highlands, in 1541 included "Katerina Vicarii Joannis Patricii vic Achromone", "Katerina Columbi vic Gillebride" and "Katerina fabri".[Ewen, p. 209]  But here these names are being recorded in Latin, not Gaelic.

So while this shows that mid-16th century Scottish Gaels were using a name that was recorded in Latin documents as <Katerina>, it does not tell us what the medieval Gaelic form of that name was.

Pre-1600 Scots Language Evidence

Entries in the late 16th century Burgh Court Books for Inverness record the names of a number of women who, based on their full names, were apparently Gaels (although, since they appear in a burgh/town, at least some of them may have been bi-cultural). Examples include:

• "Catheryne Neyn Patrik Roy" - 1571
• "Catheryne Nyk Cowll" - 1572

But these names are being recorded in Scots, not Gaelic.

So while this shows that late 16th century Scottish Gaels were using a name that was recorded in Scots language documents as <Catheryne>, it does not tell us what the medieval Gaelic form of that name was.

Pre-1600 Irish Gaelic Evidence

The Annála Connacht mention an Irish woman named "Catirfina ingen h. Fergail ben h. Raigillig" in an entry for the year 1363 and an Irish woman named "Catirfina ingen Cathail h. Ruairc ben Toirrdelbaig Meic Domnaill Galloclaich" in an entry for the year 1417.[O'Brien]  But these are the names of Irish Gaels, not Scottish Gaels.

So while this shows that 14th and 15th century Irish Gaels were using a name that was recorded in Gaelic documents as <Catirfina>, it does not tell us whether medieval Scottish Gaels were also using the name and, if so, whether they used the same form of the name.

Modern Scottish Gaelic Evidence

"Catrìona ... Common. Cognate with C/Katherine, it is derived from the greek Aikaterinè, wich has become popularly associated with Katharos, pure. The legend of St Katherine of Alexandria, an Egyptian princess martyred in the 4th century, was taken back to Europe by the crusaders of the 12th century. The name became further popularised due to St Catherine of Sienna, and the Gaelic form received a big boost in the 19th century with the publication of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel 'Catrìona'. See Caitlin, Catìona, Catrìonag, Ceit, Ceitag, Ceitidh, Rìona."[Morgan, s.n. Catrìona]

Pre-1600 Scottish Gaelic Form

Scottish Gaelic Given Names for Women

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