Rerun Friday - O'McFitz - What does that all mean? Irish Surnames

"O'McFitz - What does that all mean? Irish Surnames" was originally posted on Saturday, August 14, 2010

Have you ever wondered what the "O'" in O'Brien means? How about the "Mc" in McGuire? Those Fitzpatrick's make me wonder what "Fitz" is all about. Irish surnames derive from Gaelic and Norman roots primarily. The further north in Ireland you go, the more the names derive from Gaelic. During the 1600s and 1700s, the English definitely discouraged the continued use of Irish surnames in favor of English surnames. Maybe that's why there are Smith's in Ireland.

When the surname begins with "Mc" (or even "Mac" which is typically Scottish), the surname suffix means "son of". When the surname begins with "O'", the surname suffix means grandson of. When the surname suffix begins with "Fitz", it means that these Irish are French. Just kidding! Well, maybe. It does have something to do with the French.

"Fitz" has a Norman origin, from the Latin flius, meaning son. The Normans were from Normandy, France. They conquered the Irish in 1169. So...The Normans were French and brought that Fitz name with them when they conquered Ireland. Then the Normans were converted to being Irish. That is really making a long story and hundreds of years seem like a short story.

Are the Irish, French? The Irish were conquered by many including the Vikings, Normans, and English. Take your pick on the ancient national origin of Ireland. Was Ireland the original melting pot? One could certainly find an argument for that. I suppose I get my love of meat and potatoes from the English. The Irish improved upon it though.

When I toured Ireland in 2004, our tour guide was full of fascinating trivia. As we entered the City of Galway, he indicated that at one point in its history, the residents tried to keep out anyone whose surname began with an "O'" or a "Mc". I can't recall the whole story but I would imagine that applied to many Irish. Of course, that did not last long for Galway. This McGuire's thought of Galway was, "What a beautiful city it is!" No hard feelings from a "Mc" here.

"O'", "Mc" and "Fitz" live on for Irish surnames although some have dropped the leading suffix for a more English or even Americanized style of surname.

Rohman - New York City

Here are the records that I have found for my Rohmann/Rohman/Roman/Romaine Faimly line.  Take your pick on the spelling of the name "Roman".  I did find my correct family members but this is far from a complete set or family unit.  Also, this is really all that I've been able to nail down definitively in over a year.  I do think that the name is spelled Rohman.  Mary Rohman McGuire was my great grandmother.

"New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962," Joseph Rohman, 1872

Name:

Joseph Rohman

Gender:

Male

Baptism/Christening Date:

Baptism/Christening Place:

Birth Date:

26 Oct 1872

Birthplace:

Manhattan, New York, New York, USA

Death Date:

Name Note:

Race:

Father's Name:

Joseph

Father's Birthplace:

Father's Age:

Mother's Name:

Frances Lendevorson

Mother's Birthplace:

Mother's Age:

Indexing Project (Batch) Number:

C00772-1

System Origin:

New_York-ODM

Source Film Number:

1315320

Reference Number:

"New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962," Mary Roman, 1878

Name:	Mary Roman
Gender:	Female
Baptism/Christening Date:
Baptism/Christening Place:
Birth Date:	20 Nov 1878
Birthplace:	240 Delancey St , New York City, New York
Death Date:
Name Note:
Race:
Father's Name:	Joseph Roman
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name:	Francis Lindeaurm Roman
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number:	C71508-7
System Origin:	New_York-ODM
Source Film Number:	1322134
Reference Number:

"New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962," John Rohman, 1887

Name:	John Rohman
Gender:	Male
Baptism/Christening Date:
Baptism/Christening Place:
Birth Date:	23 Aug 1887
Birthplace:	Manhattan, New York, New York, USA
Death Date:
Name Note:
Race:
Father's Name:	Joseph Rohman
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name:	Franeisca Luchwnrm
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number:	C00539-1
System Origin:	New_York-ODM
Source Film Number:	1322224
Reference Number:

"New York, Marriages, 1686-1980," Mary Romaine, 1903

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Groom's Name:	Francis Mcguire
Groom's Birth Date:
Groom's Birthplace:
Groom's Age:
Bride's Name:	Mary Romaine
Bride's Birth Date:
Bride's Birthplace:
Bride's Age:
Marriage Date:	04 Sep 1903
Marriage Place:	Manhattan, New York, New York
Groom's Father's Name:	Charles Mcguire
Groom's Mother's Name:	Sarah Mcgrath
Bride's Father's Name:	Joseph Romaine
Bride's Mother's Name:	Frances Lakervine
Groom's Race:
Groom's Marital Status:
Groom's Previous Wife's Name:
Bride's Race:
Bride's Marital Status:
Bride's Previous Husband's Name:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number:	M00391-5
System Origin:	New_York-ODM
Source Film Number:	1570985
Reference Number:

1880 U.S. Census

Household

Gender

Age

Birthplace

SELF

Joe Rohmann

M

40

Germany

WIFE

Frances Rohmann

F

35

Germany

SON

Joseph Rohmann

M

7

New York, United States

Rosa Rohmann

F

4

New York, United States

Mary Rohmann

F

1

New York, United States