hi,
would someone be able to translate my name for me?
Gerald Fitzpatrick
thanks, now that i found your site, i will start visiting more often.

A Chara,

Glacaim leis gur foirm bhunaidh an tsloinne atá uait, ní nach ionann is 'aistriú' sloinne.
Is é sin :
Mac Giolla Phádraig!
Athlitriú is ea Gerald > Gearóid/Gearailt.
Undoubtedly, the original Irish form of your surname is what you seek. 'Gearóid' is the more common transliterated Irish form of Gerald/Gerard.

Mar sin/hence : Gearóid Mac Giolla Phádraig

Go ngnóthaí Dia duit.

Dia duit,

I also would like to know the translation of my name:
Charity.

I also was wondering what 'failte' meant in English.

Dia linn,

Charity Carlton
""

Fáilte means welcome.

The Irish for the virtue charity is carthanacht, but I don't think it would be used as a personal name.
There was a link from this page to a names website which may be some help, but I'm afraid I can't remember the URL. Someone else may.

btw. "Dia Linn" is usually used where in English "bless you" would be used, i.e. after someone sneezes.

A more usual way to sign off would be "Beir beannacht" or if you want to invoke the Deity, "Ráth Dé oraibh" (or orainn, if you wish to include yourself).

Oops! I guess I just blessed someone after sneezing.

What does "Beir beannacht" mean and "Rath Dé oraibh" mean? I have noticed that the Gaelic words have a lot of capitolization to them. Why is this? I'll try another sentence now. Conas a dearfá Claddagh as Gaeilge?

Slán go fóill.

Charity

Dia dhuit,

You can find a list of nametranslations on the site "Focal an Lae" (http://www.lincolnu.edu/~focal/)
Click "Features" on the left side of the page, and you see a list of things like Gaelic Christmas greetings, happy birthday wishes, useful phrases, curses (always a good start for beginners), NAME TRANSLATIONS and many more.
It's an excellent site.

By the way, I couldn't find a translation for Charity there.

Slán,
René

"Carthanacht" = Charity
"Carthanach" = Charitable