Les pratiques de nomination des migrants irlandais en Espagne (1600-1680) : entre le rejet et l'assimilation

Abstract

The nature of the relationship between emigration and the evolution of naming systems in the early modern period remains relatively unknown. The case of Irish emigration to Castile in the period 1600-80 allows us examine the dynamics of change in Irish emigrants, who were forced to negotiate between their predominantly Gaelic anthroponomical system of origin and the adopted Castilian one. Although the use of European names was relatively widespread in Ireland prior to 1600, the same cannot be said of the dynamics of choice behind these names, which did not follow the European norm of parent, grandparent or godparent patterns. The results of a study of the naming patterns of c. 2 600 emigrants between 1600 and 1680 have revealed two principal elements. First, owing to an implicit identification of the Irish and the Moriscos during the second decade of the seventeenth century, the top five principal Gaelic names went into sharp decline and almost disappeared due to the need to differentiate Irish social-cultural norms from those of the Moriscos. At the same time Irish emigrants adopted a wider number of standardised European or international names. Second, over a longer period of time Irish immigrants also adopted Castilian practices in terms of the dynamics of choice but this really only became apparent in the second generation.

Keywords

• Castile
• migration
• kinship
• anthroponomy
• Irish people
• xviith century