This page gives an overview of naming conventions in Tirneach. It is intended to describe general trends and tendencies in the setting and to make the information contained within NPC names more readable, not to prescribe how player characters can be named. Players are encouraged to take inspiration from it when naming characters if they wish to.
Common Names
It is unusual for most families to have consistent surnames. Typically, someone is given a personal name and, if necessary, other identifiers can be added to that contextually.
Most common is a simple nickname, often based on the person’s habits or appearance:
- Fiona Corcra: corcra meaning purple (fee-oh-na kor-kra)
- Caoimhe Glórach: glórach meaning loud (kwee-vah glor-uck)
- Small Laoise: presumably, somewhere there is a taller Laoise (lee-sha)
Other common nicknames include:
- Rua (rue-ah) – Red, red-haired
- Óg (oh-g) – Young, also used to mean Jr.
- Sean (shan) – Old, also used to mean Sr.
- Beag (b-yug) – Small
- Mhór (mor) – Big
- Donn (dun) – Brown, brown-haired
- Fionn (f-yun) – Fair, blonde
- Cliste (k-lish-ta) – Clever
All of these can be applied sarcastically as well as literally. Nicknames and other identifiers are often in Irish, as there is a feeling common in Tirneach that a proper name is given in the Old Tongue.
Another common identifier is location, referring to where the person is from, often denoted with the preposition “ón”:
- Maire Ón Bhruid: from Bruid, a more useful identifier in other realms (mah-ree own vrue-id)
- Áine Ón Cnoc: from the hill, more useful locally (aw-nyeh own k-nuck)
- Corroch Ailbhe: presumably from, but not living in, Corroch (kor-ock al-veh)
Some people can also pick up names based on well known family members, this is usually done without the prepositions used in more formal names:
- Muirrean Deirdre: Deirdre would be the more well known family member (mwih-rin deer-dreh)
- Mary’s Peadar: This makes no assumption as to actual closeness between Mary and Peadar (pyah-der)
- Blathnaid Donnacha Caragh: Blathnaid, child of Donnacha, child of Caragh (blaw-nid dun-na-ka cah-rah)
High Families
Amongst the High Families, surnames are more consistent and structured. The exact forms depend on the set of families.
The Ruby Court
Ruby Families name themselves after their Heroic ancestor. This is typically done using the preposition “ua” and the families are often referred to using this as a title. For example:
- Aoife Ua Nuada is a member of the Ua Nuada family (ee-fah oo-ah nu-ah-dah)
- Roisín Ua Dhubhgiolla is a member of the Ua Dhubhgiolla family (roh-sheen oo-ah duv-gill-ah)
- Síle Ua Barra is a member of the Ua Barra family (she-lah oo-ah bah-rah)
Multiple families claim descent from each hero though and only the most politically and socially successful can get away with simply referring to themselves as Ua Hero. Others may have to distinguish themselves based on history, location, intervening family members, or other references to the hero:
- Sorcha Ní Ruarí Ua Nuada: Ruarí may be the founder of this branch or well known in some other way
- Orlaith Ua Dhubhgiolla-Barr: The family coming from or based in the town of Barr
- Líadan Ua Buí: Claiming descent from Barra Buí but not to be confused with the Ua Barra.
Most of the families of the Carmine Court claim descent from Finian the brave and so none of them use the family name Ua Finian, they all identify themselves based on a later ancestor.
The Courtly Clanns
Speaking with their own, members of the Courtly Clanns use simple and functional names in a very similar way to the common folk of Baol. When speaking to someone from outside the Clann however, they will identify themselves as a child of their clann using the prepositions Nic, Mac, or Oc. For example:
- Dearbhla Óg Oc Niamha (derr-vlah oh-g ock nee-vah)
- Bronagh Ón Valley Nic Aonghusa (bro-nah own valley nik eng-gus-ah)
- Caolan Mac Clára (kway-lun mack claw-rah)
The Chieftans of Uasa
Each of the Uasan High Families represents the inherited line of one of the leaders of Uasa’s ancient tribes. This means that their naming conventions do technically extend to the common folk of Uasa. Every Uasan family owes loyalty to one of the ancient tribes and so may use the name of that tribe. In everyday life however, the common folk rarely do so. The tribes tend to be named after their homeland, or some central myth of the tribe, which are often lost to time. This most often takes the form of names evoking natural, watery features, either in the old tongue or the new. Tribal allegiance is denoted with the use of the preposition “Ó”. For example:
- Seosamh Ó Tanaí, meaning of the shallows (sh-oh-suv oh tah-nee)
- Nuala Glas Ó Sacred-Shell (nu-lah gloss oh)
- Cian Ó Srutha-Láidir, meaning of the strong current (keen oh s-ruh-ha law-der)
Some tribal names are akin to common names, but over time they have firmly become surnames. For instance, the tribe of the shallows would probably have once been “Ó na Thanaí”, but are now simply “Ó Tanaí”. This is partially due to the meanings of the names often being lost, but may also have been an intentional effort in times past to distinguish the names from more common locational names.
Other Naming Conventions
Draíod
Officially Draíod has no High Families but they do still have families that are ancient, notable, wealthy, or influential. Families that want to put their name to their deeds and reputation. Amongst these families it is common for a name derived from some legendary deed, nickname, or attribute of an ancestor to become attached to the family and function as a surname. These often involve references to stone, minerals, and other subterranean features. Additionally, the letters K and V are also more common in Draíodaigh names and rare elsewhere. For example:
- Eithne Quartzbreaker (eth-nah)
- Meav Drakebane (may-v)
- Fiadh Marblespine (fee-ah)
Amongst the Fathach it is not unusual to have a name connected with one’s purpose or forming some guiding principle suggested by their creator, or adopted later in life. For example:
- Ceist, meaning Question (keh-sht)
- Quicksand-Bogs-Debate
- Through-Clarity-We-Gain-Wisdom
Drakeblooded
Almost every Drakeblooded is a member of a Drakeblooded house and most of them choose to include this as part of their name. The names of the Drakeblooded houses are derived from the names of their draconic ancestor and almost always take the form of descriptions of weather. It is usually appended to the end of any other names the person uses. For example:
- Niamh Airgead Oc Aoibheann Ua Cathbad of House Whispering Wind (neev ah-rih-gid ock ay-veen oo-ah caw-huv)
- Saoirse Beag of House Crashing Rain (seer-sha byug)
- Ciara Mac Aonghusa of House Vital Rains (keer-ah mak eng-gus-ah)