Essay: Names On the Isle of Man

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Isle of Man is the large number of monument stones to be found there. Most of these are cross slabs, either Celtic or Norse in inspiration, and many of them are carved with texts in Ogham, Latin, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse. The tradition goes back to pre-Christian times, but the majority of them date to the early Middle Ages.

What follows below is a list of names that appear on these monument stones. Each entry represents all the names that could be picked out on a particular stone, so there may be several names. I am going to try to present the information in the following format:

1. Primary translation-the original transcription converted to Latin letters with diacritical marks.
2. Secondary translation into a recognizable name form.
3. Dating where known.
4. Any additional notes that might put the name into perspective.
   Due to the widely varying amount of information available to me, any of the above may or may not be included, but they will appear in the above order. My apologies to those who are looking for Celtic information, I am not as well versed in Celtic naming practices, so I can't attest that the versions of the names given is correct.

Most of this is the work of others, most notably R. I. Page, A. M. Cubbon, and P. M. C. Kermode. I also used Geirr Bassi Haraldsson to help me with some of the names I translated myself.

OGHAM

• Bivaidu, son of the tribe of Cunava[li] (The Conaille, a subkingdom in East Ireland north of the Boyne)
• Dovaido Bivaiconas
• Imchad mac Rochado, 4th -6th century

LATIN

• Avit, Avitus, 5th or 6th century.
• Irneit, late 7th or 8th century, Celtic bishop.
• Lugni, Diprui, 8th or ealy 9th century (Latin genetives of old Irish names).
• Branhui, late 8th-early 9th century.
• Guriat, early 9th century, (a British King of Man, father of Myrfyn Frych "from the land of Man", a king in North Wales).
  

RUNIC, ANGLO-SAXON

• blagc.man, Blacman Blæcmon Blacaman

RUNIC, NORSE

• ufaik (Ofeig) kaut (Gaut) sunr : biarnar fra : kuli (son of Bjorn from Colli), approximately 950 A.D.
• mail brikti : sunr : aþakans : smiþ (Melbrgdi son of Athakans the smith) kautr (Gaut) approximately 950 A.D.
• sant:ulf : hin : suarti (Sandulf the black) arin:biaurk (Arinbjorg) 10th century.
• þurualtr (Thorvald) 10th century.
• aulaibr .: liutulbsunr (Olaf Ljotulfsson) []lb (Ulf) late 10th century
• ufaak : sun : krinais (Ofeig son of Krinan).
• nroskitil (Hrosketil)
• utr (Odd) fra[k]a [:f]aþ[ursin} (Frakki his father ) þ[urbiaurn] (Thorbjorn) Late (12th century?).
• þorlibr :nhaki (Thorlief hnakki) fiak : su[n]sin (Fiacc his son) habrs (Haf) late 10th-early 11th century.
• [t]ruian : sur[t]ufkals (Druian son of Dubgail) aþmiu (Athmiul).
• inasruþr (Ásrøð)
• mal:lymkun (Servant of Lomchu) mal:mury (Servant of Mary) tufkals (Dubgails) aþisl (Aþisl).
• krim (Grim)
• iualfir : sunr : þurulfs : hins : rauþa (Joalf son of Thorolf the red) friþu (Freda) late 10th- early 11th century.
• krims : ins : suarta (Grim the black)
• þurbiaurn (Thorbjorn)
• iuan + brist (Ewan the priest) malaki (Malachi) okbaþrik (Patrick) aþanman (Adamnan) mid 12th century.
• heþin (Heþinn) arni (Arni) sikuþr (Sigurd)
• kuan (Cuan) murkialu (Myrgjol) þuriþ (Thoroð)