Gaelic, Norse and English Eras
During the first era of recorded history the island was occupied by Celtic speaking peoples. Irish missionaries later Christianised the island. During the era of Norse rule, Old Norse speaking settlers intermarried with the Gaelic speaking native population. In this way Norse personal names were found their way into common use by the Manx. During the influence of English domination, many surnames were introduced to the island. Some of these names were translated into the native language of the island. However, the use of the English language on the island meant that many Manx surnames became Anglicised or Englished. Immigration from Ireland brought Hiberno-Norman surnames to the island as well.
Read more about this topic: Manx Surnames
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