English And Gaelic, by Robert Archibald Armstrong (London 1825), defines, at page 340, lair or larach as "a mare," and defines, at page 344, larach as "a filly." In a subsequent email, Gordon Macleod made clear that he did not intend to imply that the Gaelic word for mare may be part of the origin of Macleod: Thanks to your sterling efforts, I'm more convinced than ever that I maybe on to something.Ī Gaelic Dictionary, In Two Parts: I. Then when I saw the McCloys mentioned on your page I remembered the oldest record of the name Macleod is written as McCloyd. I thought the pronunciation of the d was a problem but maybe not - I think, in Scottish Gaelic, Macleod is pronounced something akin to Macloge.
CELTIC MAGICAL NAMES MAC
Once, a mischievous lot in Skye cut off the head, tail and legs of a dead horse and set it afloat on a boat to Raasay, where, when found, it was consumed by the locals who thought it a cow, the nickname laire mairt or cow mare was long after given to Raasay folk.Īnyway, I've long suspected this tradition was a possible clue to the origins of the Macleods, that perhaps the name was originally something like Mac Gille Eochaidh.
This association was often mocked by rival clans and the Macleods were said to eat nothing buts oats (largely true at one time). Furthermore, the old people used to say that if you dreamt of a horse (more specifically a grey or white mare) you were sure to meet a Macleod - the horse was their totem, just as the cat was for the Chatten confederation of clans. Much less known however, is the name Siol na Laire or Larach, Regarding my surname I'm descended from the Macleod's of Raasay and Lewis, often called the Siol Torcall in Gaelic (seed of Torcall). Perhaps its original meaning was to encourage children to use the English word instead of the Irish. I always thought it was just a nonsense rhyme until I read your page. Icky ocky horses gocky, which gives a much better idea as to the pronunciation. Well that's how I spelled it - I'm not sure why. The rhyme was used to select someone for various tasks/games etc, as in the rhyme eeny meeny miney mo, it went something like this: The first to do with an old rhyme I knew as a boy growing up in Ireland, the second to do with my surname Macleod. Reading your excellent page on Irish horse names immediately lit up little light bulbs in my head. Gordon Macleod sent me this email on July 5, 2013: (In a version I grew up with in the 1930s, Rudyard Kipling used the spelling Eenee, Meenee, Mainee, Mo! - in A Counting-Out Song in Land and Sea Tales for Scouts and Guides (1923).) American children used eeny meeny miny moe (followed, in a modern version, by catch a tiger by his toe, if he hollers let him go, eeny meeny miney moe). Irish children In Ireland used icky ocky horses gocky - icky ochy out as a counting rhyme to determine who was it in tag, to settle marble-trading disputes, and for other equally important purposes. This page collectsĪdditional material on Irish words for "horse," and names derived
Surnames with origins closer to the origins of McGough, are discussed in my The stem of that name is thought to be eoch or each, Irish wordsįor "horse." The different forms of Eochaidh and Eochadha, and many McGough and McGeough are derived from the Gaelic name Mac Eochaidh or Mag Eochadha. Irish Names Derived from "Horse" by Hugh McGough
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