[ad_1]
Traditionally, it is believed that the name Campbell originated entirely in Scotland. However, both the name Campbell and the dynasty originated in Ireland, specifically the province of Ulster.
Geographically, Ulster and Scotland are separated by a narrow strait (the Strait of Kintyre), but have shared a common language and culture since ancient times. The name Scotland itself means “land of the Irish”, and Irish is the language used in Scotland.
The origin of the name Campbell is Irish (Gaelic) – Derived from the Irish Cam = crooked, Beál = “mouth”. The term “crooked mouth” does not refer to a physical feature, but to lying or making false promises – an irony that even today political opponents may do!
Over the centuries, the Campbells amassed numerous feudal titles, including Knight, Lord, Earl, Marquis, and finally Duke of Argyll. Each new title was a recognition of the family’s rise in power, marking a step in their transformation from the ruling dynasty of the West Highland Gaelic Campbell clans to a leading aristocracy in England.
You will find the second origin of the name Campbell is County TyroneThe former chief herald, MacLysaght, believed that the name MacCathmhaoil (often anglicized as Campbell) was derived from the Irish word for “battle chief”. MacCathmhaoil was one of the descendants of the O’Neill family. In the Middle Ages they lost political power but retained their status as one of the learned families (Aos Dána), renowned for their learning. The name is now rare in Ireland.
From the 1250s, a branch of the Scottish Campbell family, the MacAilín, also settled here. DonegalFrom the 1550s, a second wave of mercenaries from Scotland, the Redlegs, included many Campbells from Argyllshire. They were called Redlegs because they fought in the summer months, mainly in the Ulster and Connaught regions, wearing kilts and “bare legs”. To ensure a regular supply, some Irish nobles even began marrying Scottish wives – most notably O’Neill’s marriage to Agnes Campbell, “Lady of Kintyre”, in 1569.
The largest settlement of the Scots Campbells into Ireland was probably the Ulster Plantation. The sudden exodus of the earls (O’Neill, O’Donnell, Maguire and their allies) in 1607 cleared the way for the Ulster Plantation. Scotland Settled in Counties Antrim and Down in eastern Ulster. The Campbell family was one of the largest immigrants from Scotland to Ireland, so to this day the Campbell surname is common throughout Ireland.
A report by the Registrar General’s Office before Irish Independence and Partition found that the surname Campbell was one of the top 30 surnames in Ireland and one of the top 5 surnames in the province of Ulster.
* This article was co-authored by Findmypast. Find your Campbell ancestors in Ireland by Looking for my pastwhich contains over 170,000 unique Irish records of this surname.
** This article was originally published in 2016 and updated in August 2024.
[ad_2]
Source link
