| Gender | Masculine |
|---|---|
| Language(s) | Gaeilge |
| Other gender | |
| Feminine | Nic Giollarnáth, Mhic Giollarnáth |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | "Mac an Áth", "son of Ford (crossing)" |
| Other names | |
| See also | Mac Giolla Naomh, Forde (surname) |
Mac Giollarnáth is a masculine surname in Gaeilgee. The name translates into English as "son of Ford (crossing)".
Etymology
editThe surname is thought to derive from an erroneous translation of the surname Mac Giolla Naomh, meaning "son of the devotee of the saints" an Irish clann / sept that originated in southern Connemara, Connacht. Over the years, however, Mac Giolla Naomh, which was incorrectly transcribed as Mac Giollarnáth, and then erroneously translated as Forde (surname), from the resemblance of the final syllable to Áth, a Ford (crossing).
Feminine forms
editThe surname originated as a patronym, however, it no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's father. The form of the surname for unmarried females is Nic Giollarnáth. The form for married females is Mhic Giollarnáth. The Anglicised form of Mac Giollarnáth is Forde (surname).