| Name |
Meaning |
Name of Fame |
Laoghaire
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Gaelic : 'Calf-Herder'. Pronounced Lawyery and anglicised as Leary. Dun Laoghaire, 'Laoghaire's Fort' is the name of the famous harbour town in Ireland, south of Dublin. Laoghaire, king of Tara was one of the few men recorded as having a confrontation with St Patrick. Name is rare but more commonl;y occurs as a surname such as the Gaelic language writer Peadar Ua Laoghaire (1839- 1920. In Gaelic An t'Athair Peadar O'Laoghaire or Canon O'Leary in Englsih was parish priest of Castlelyons from 1891-1920. He was a prominent worker for the revival of the Irish Language and wrote many books in Irish. Famous name: Irish and Scottish traditional music band King Laoghaire. |
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Laughlin
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Gaelic: 'Son Of The Scandinavian'. A spelling variant of Loughlin. The word Lochlainn originates as the name of a legendary Irish land adapted in Gaelic as the homeland of the Norsemen. The Norse influence in a family is celebrated in the name MacLochlainn ‘Son of the Norseman’. As a first name it became widespread in Ireland with Lochlan being another variant in Irish Gaelic. Is also to be commonly found in Scotland where the spelling is Lachlan. Famous names Lachlan Murdoch of the News Corporation owning Murdoch dynasty and Lachlan Macquarie regarded as the ‘Father of Australia’ Crime novelist Captain Joseph K. Loughlin is a twenty-four-year veteran of the Portland (Maine) Police Department. |
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Laurence
Labhras |
Latin: 'Of Laurentum'. This name has been used to translate the native name Lorcan. The name Lawrence itself was introduced into Ireland by the Anglo-Normans and rendered Labhras in Irish Gaelic. Famous name: Labhras O Cadhla was a pioneering influence in the revival of Irish traditional song in the 20th century. St Laurence O 'Tool, Augustinian archbishop of Dublin, was born at Leinster, the Son of Murtagh, chief of the Murrays, in Castledermot, Kildare. He died in 1180. Irish actor Peter O’Toole famously played Lawrence of Arabia in the epic film. |
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Leo
Leon |
Latin: 'Lion'. A name which became popular following the installation of Gioacchino Vincenzo Pecci (1810-1903) as Pope Leo XIII in 1873. However when it was translated into Irish as Leon, the name became popular in its own right. Famous name: Irish traditional singer Leo Maguire who died in 1985 also social realist photographer Leo Maguire. |
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Lewis
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Laois. The English form of Louis, which is itself an Anglo Norman rendering of the native names Laoiseach and Lughaidh. Pet name: Louey. Portlaoise is the principal town in County Laois; 'the only county in Ireland that touches a county that doesn’t touch the sea’. The name derives from Laoiseach Ceannmore, an ancient historical personage whose name may be translated as ‘Laoiseach, great leader’ Laois is sometimes known by its English name, Leix - which was formerly called Queen's County. |
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Liam
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Gaelic /Germanic: 'Will Helmet'. The Irish form of William once popular as Uilliam. Liam was originally a pet form so the name is unusual in that it has become more popular than its root name. Liam is the second syllable of William, a name also used for the fox. In Scotland Uilleam is still the preferred Gaelic form. In Ireland Liam na Lasoige is the name for the Will 0' the Wisp. Famous names: Film Actor Liam Neeson and singer with rock group Oasis Liam Gallacher. |
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Lloyd
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Welsh: 'Grey'. The name Lloyd is derived from the Welsh word llwyd or clwyd, meaning ‘grey’ or ‘brown’. (Llwyd is also used as a personal name.) The double-l represents the welsh pronounciation was sometimes also represented as fl, which has produced the related name Floyd. The name has travelled largely in recent times because of the historic figure British Prime Minister Lloyd George. More recently the singer songwriter Lloyd Cole has brought it to a new generation. |
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Lorcan
Lorcain |
Gaelic: 'Little Fierce One'. A colourful native Irish name which is sadly less common nowadays. St Lorcan O'Toole, Archbishop of Dublin at the time of the Norman Invasion of Ireland is one of Ireland's most celebrated saints. Famous name: Los Angeles based architect Lorcan O’Herlihy. |
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Loughlin
Lochlainn |
Gaelic: 'Heroic', 'Warriorlike'. The first name Loughlin spring originally from MacLochlainn, 'son of the Scandinavian'. Lochlainn was originally a legendary place in Irish folklore which became the homeland of the Norsemen and widespread in Ireland. Lochlan was a variant in Irish. There is a similar Scottish name, Lachlan, probably from Gaelic laoch.Famous name: Hollywood actor Kyle Maclachlan and cop turned crime writer Joseph Loughlin. |
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Lucan
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Latin: ‘Light’. An anglicised derivative of the Latin Lucius used for the native Irish names Lachtna and Laoiseach. Lucan Gaelic ‘Leamhcán’ is a suburban town on the western outskirts of Dublin The town lies at the confluence of the River Liffey and the river Liffey. Famous name: Sir Lucan the Butler was a servant of Kimng Arthur and one of the Knights of the Round table. The last Earl of Lucan is a British aristocrat and murder suspect who disappeared from the UK in the 1970’s and has never been tracked down. |
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