Although the surname Joyce may automatically be associated with author James Joyce, the name has an ancient past, with both Irish and Norman antecedents. Derived from the Brehon personal name Iodoc, which is a diminutive of iudh meaning lord, the name was adopted by the Normans in the form Josse. While some scholars believe that the name developed from the French Joie, which … [Read more...] about Joyce, Joce, Joass, Jorse, & Joyes
Roots
Roots: Cummins (Cummings, Commons, Comyns, Hurley)
The original Irish name is ÓCoimín and its variations are numerous in every part of Ireland. The name lends itself to many interpretations. Some say it comes from the Irish word cam, meaning crooked, while others incorrectly believed the name derived from the word camán, which means a hurling stick. This interpretation gave rise to the anglicized name Hurley. Other anglicized … [Read more...] about Roots: Cummins (Cummings, Commons, Comyns, Hurley)
Roots: The Kelly Gang
Kelly comes second to Murphy as the most common surname in Ireland. The name is popular because it originates from at least seven different and unrelated ancient clans or septs. These include O'Kelly septs from Meath, Derry, Antrim, Laois, Sligo, Wicklow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Galway and Roscommon, and the McKelly sept from East Connaught. One of the major septs is the O'Kellys … [Read more...] about Roots: The Kelly Gang
Jeanie Johnston Makes Her Way Up The East Coast
Floating Museum Shows Irish-Americans What Ancestors Encountered. In 1848 it would cost you $5.50 to cross the Atlantic from Ireland on the sailing ship Jeanie Johnston. That fare represented half a year's wages for an Irish laborer hoping to start a new life in America. Today, for $7.00 you can buy a ticket to visit the Jeanie Johnston replica, a floating museum, while it … [Read more...] about Jeanie Johnston Makes Her Way Up The East Coast
Irish on Parade
June 1, 1907: Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. ℘℘℘ My grandfather Phillip L. McQuillan, one of the early plumbing and heating engineers, celebrated his Irish-American patriotism by participating in the 1907 Memorial Day Parade in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. The sign on the side of the wagon reads "P.L. McQuillan, Good Plumbing." Two of his twelve children, Ruth and Frances, are tiding … [Read more...] about Irish on Parade