Celts (modern) - Ancestry

Ancestry

Further information: Scottish clan, Scottish Gaelic personal naming system, Irish names, and Welsh surnames

A profound interest in genealogy and family history is noted as a feature of the culture of the Celtic nations and regions and people with a Celtic heritage. People in traditional Celtic areas can recite their genealogy back though the generations as history, moving rhythmically from one name to another using only Christian name as illustrated by lyrics of the Runrig song Siol Ghoraidh "The Genealogy of Ghoraidh". Where, as often happens in families, the same Christian names are repeated in succession or close to one another, adjectives or nicknames are attached which bring life to the long list of names as shown by the nickname used for the famous Scottish Gaelic songwriter, poet and crofter activist Màiri Mhòr nan Òran meaning Big Mary of the Songs. Such by-names can be descriptive as in Mary MacDonald's case just mentioned, patronymic after the name or by-name of the father such as Màiri Dhòmhnaill meaning Donald's Mary, occupational designated by the person's job such as Màiri a' Ghobha meaning Mary of the Blacksmith, residential for the name of the place they live or come from such as Mòrag a' Ghlinne meaning Morag of/from the Glen, local origin using an adjective deriving from someone's place of origin such as Dòmhnall Hearach meaning Donald of/from Harris or an amalgamation of these types such as Calum Dubh a' Chlachain meaning Black-haired Calum of/from Clachan whose formal Gaelic name might simply be Calum MacLeòid (Malcolm MacLeod).