Hi, my name is Michael Barrentine. Does Barrentine look like a Gaelic name? My family pronounces it Bear-ren-teen. I believe it is of Italian or French origin! May I have your opinion on what it might be? Do you speak Gaelic? If not, can you give me an e-mail of someone who speaks Gaelic? Thank's Mike.

Off hand it doesn't look as such to me, but I'd have to check.And if we can't speak gaelic, you really shouldn't be asking our advice on this site!

Mike, you're probably right. Barrentine doesn't have the look of an Irish name although that doesn't preclude the possibility either. Quite a few foreign names became established in Ireland over the centuries -- a recent book on Derry surnames quite properly includes Greek and Chinese surnames. Older names of English and Norman French origin often have recognized Irish equivalents of one sort or another. The Anglo-Norman name Bermingham, for example, has an Irish equivalent in Mac Fheorais. Some Irish surnames were literally translated into English, or more often mistranslated. (E.g., Ó hÉighnigh came into English as (O') Heaney but also mistranslated as Bird.)

But the long and the short of it is that Barrentine does not appear in the books on Irish surnames that I have at hand. You'll need to check non-Irish sources. It might help to trace your family back as far as possible.

Laighneach is going a little over the top here. Tóg go bog é, a Laighnigh. Ba chóir dúinn fáilte a chur roimh dhaoine mar seo. Is ag taispeáint go bhfuil suim acu sa teanga atá siad.

The reason postings are permitted in English is help people learning Irish and to share what we know with people who don't know any.

Ceist, áfach -- dá mbeadh ceist ag duine a labhraíonns Spáinnis nó Fraincis an mbeadh sin ceadaithe? Ní de réir an méid atá scríofa thuas: 'Irish and English'. Hay los que aprenden irlandés que preferían hacer sus preguntas en espanol, por ejemplo.

Tá an ceart agat, a Sheosaimh! Is breá liom gur féidir linn scríobh as Gaeilge anseo, ach ní thuigim cad 'na thaobh go mbeadh Béarla níos fearr (nó níos measa) ná teangacha eile. (Gaeilge - Irish)

Du har helt rätt, Seosamh. Jag tycker det är bra att vi kan skriva på Iriska här, men jag förstår inte varför Engelska skulle vara bättre (eller sämre) än något annat språk. (Svenska - Sualainnis - Swedish)

Olet oikeassa, Seosamh. Minun mielestäni on hyvää että voimme käyttää Iiriä täällä, mutta en ymmärrä miksi Englantia olisi parempi (tai huonompi) kuin muita kieliä. (Suomea - Fionlainnis - Finnish)

Richtig, Seosamh. Ich glaube, dass es gut ist dass wir hier Gaelisch benutzen können, aber ich verstehe nicht warum Englisch besser (oder schlimmmer) wäre. (Deutsch - Gearmainis - German)

Mae hynny'n wir, Seosamh. Dw i'n meddwl fod yn dda y gallwn ni ysgrigennu yn Gwyddeleg yma, on dw i ddim yn deall pam fasai Saesneg yn well (neu yn ddrwg) na ieithoedd eraill. (Cymraeg - Breatnais - Welsh)

Ó níl drogall ar bith orm fáilte a chur roimh leithéidí Mhike a Sheosaimh, ach caithfidh tú a admháil go bhfuil sé beagáninín amaideach iarraidh ar dhaoine ar shuíomh gaeilge, an labhraíonn siad gaeilge, déan dearmad ar a lochtaí nó a snasta líofa is atá a gcuid gaeilge.

Bhí a cheist ciotach, a Laighnigh, tá sin fíor. An sort ruda a deirtear nuair atáthar in dtimpeallacht úr -- Tháinig sé isteach i suíomh Gaeilge agus go tobann cág i measc na bpéacóg a bhí ann.

Níor thuig mé i gceart thú an chéad uair. I didn't understand you at first. Gabh mo leithscéal.

Agus:

Wo shuode duì. Wo zuì xihuande shi women keyi zaì zhèli xie Àierlán wén. Keshr Yingwen zenma suàn bi biéguode yuyan hái hao?

Hi, this is Mike Barrentine. Can you put responses in english,so that I can read them? Thank's Mike.

They're all irrelevent to your question. When people ask questions in English, we answer them in English but then often start chattering in Irish. That normally involves tangential subjects.

Mike, I've lived in Ireland all my life and travelled a fair bit of it and I haven't met anyone so far with that name. I have looked in the local Telephone directory and there is no one listed with that name. The nearest sounding name is Barrington.

That is a good suggestion Seosamh makes -to trace your family back. I have some found some interesting variations in surname in my mothers side of the family.
You asked did your name look like a Gaelic name. I have to say yes there are two Gaelic words in it. Barr which means top and tine (pronounced chinuh) but that is no proof that it is Gaelic -if it were I think that there would be at least a few people of that surname around.

As regards all the other "irrelevant responses".... Seosamh how very modest of you! Seosamh is calling us all into line in his usual discreet gentlemanly way.

Discussing people and belittling them in a language that they do not speak would not be a nice thing to happen, would it?

Mike you are obviously a newcomer. I suggest you read some of the previous messages, you will get to know people that way. By putting the cursor over a persons name you will find their email address. Try writing an email to someone whose messages you like. I have made good friends this way some of whom I correspond with regularly both in Irish and in English. Soon you will know the people whose messages are worth reading or responding too- though which are and which are not is purely a matter of personal preferance. As the Irish proverb says is iomaí daoine ag Dia (equivalent -it takes all sorts to make a world) I hope that you will feel encouraged and motivated to learn Irish. Looking forward to some day seeing a message from you in Irish.
Kay.