Tadhg
Encyclopedia
Tadhg
often Anglicized as Teague
and sometimes as Tim
, is an Irish
and Scottish Gaelic boy's name that was very common in the past. This was also the name of an 11th-century king of Connacht.
Tadhg is most common in south-west Ireland, particularly in County Cork
and County Kerry
.
The name has enjoyed a surge in popularity recently, becoming the 64th most common name for baby boys in 2006 according to the Central Statistics Office in Ireland
.
alphabet with an overdot over the "d" to indicate it is lenited
; the "dh" serves a similar purpose in the modern spelling. "Tadg" is often seen as a spelling for "Tadhg" and has been popularly anglicized as "Tighe". Other examples can be found with the spellings of "Tadgh", "Taidgh" (found in North London) as well as the even more uncommon spelling "Tadhgh". The name is found once in an Old Norse
Viking
source spelled as "Taðkr".
When Ireland was part of the United Kingdom, many Irish names and place-names were given English meanings. Due to similarity in sound, Tadhg is often listed as an Irish equivalent of the name Thaddeus or Timothy
, but these names are not actually related.
Tadhg and its Anglicized form Taig
(not to be confused with the surname Teague) are derogatory terms for Irish people, especially Catholics or those with nationalistic leanings. It has since been replaced by 'Paddy' and 'Mick', except in Northern Ireland.
Flashman's Lady, by George MacDonald Fraser, has a comic character Mr. Daedalus Tighe.
often Anglicized as Teague
Teague
-People:* Baden Teague, Australian politician* Big Dan Teague, a character from O Brother Where Art Thou?* Brad Teague, NASCAR driver* David Teague , any of several people* George Teague, American football player...
and sometimes as Tim
Timothy (name)
Timothy is a masculine given name. It comes from the Greek name meaning "honoring God" or "honored by God". It is a common name in several countries, including non-English speaking ones....
, is an Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
and Scottish Gaelic boy's name that was very common in the past. This was also the name of an 11th-century king of Connacht.
Tadhg is most common in south-west Ireland, particularly in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
and County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
.
The name has enjoyed a surge in popularity recently, becoming the 64th most common name for baby boys in 2006 according to the Central Statistics Office in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Spelling
The name is also spelt "Taḋg" in the Irish uncialUncial
Uncial is a majuscule script commonly used from the 3rd to 8th centuries AD by Latin and Greek scribes. Uncial letters are written in either Greek, Latin, or Gothic.-Development:...
alphabet with an overdot over the "d" to indicate it is lenited
Lenition
In linguistics, lenition is a kind of sound change that alters consonants, making them "weaker" in some way. The word lenition itself means "softening" or "weakening" . Lenition can happen both synchronically and diachronically...
; the "dh" serves a similar purpose in the modern spelling. "Tadg" is often seen as a spelling for "Tadhg" and has been popularly anglicized as "Tighe". Other examples can be found with the spellings of "Tadgh", "Taidgh" (found in North London) as well as the even more uncommon spelling "Tadhgh". The name is found once in an Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
source spelled as "Taðkr".
Meaning
The commonly accepted meaning of Tadhg is "poet" or "storyteller". An alternative derivation from the Celtic *tazg(j)o-, meaning "badger", has also been proposed.When Ireland was part of the United Kingdom, many Irish names and place-names were given English meanings. Due to similarity in sound, Tadhg is often listed as an Irish equivalent of the name Thaddeus or Timothy
Timothy (name)
Timothy is a masculine given name. It comes from the Greek name meaning "honoring God" or "honored by God". It is a common name in several countries, including non-English speaking ones....
, but these names are not actually related.
Tadhg and its Anglicized form Taig
Taig
Taig is a derogatory term for an Irish Catholic. It is mainly used by sectarian loyalists in Northern Ireland and Scotland. It has been used in sectarian slogans such as "Kill All Taigs" , "All Taigs Are Targets" and "Any Taig Will Do"...
(not to be confused with the surname Teague) are derogatory terms for Irish people, especially Catholics or those with nationalistic leanings. It has since been replaced by 'Paddy' and 'Mick', except in Northern Ireland.
People named Tadhg
- Tadhg CookeTadhg CookeTadhg Cooke is an Irish musician, also known by his stage name "Tiger Cooke".Born in Dublin, Ireland and raised in Dunboyne, Co Meath, he showed musical promise from an early age and began writing his own music in school....
, a famous musician today. - Tadhg KennellyTadhg KennellyTadhg Kennelly is an Irish sportsperson known for his top level careers in both Gaelic football and Australian rules football....
, Gaelic footballer form County Kerry and Australian rules footballer for Sydney Swans.
Flashman's Lady, by George MacDonald Fraser, has a comic character Mr. Daedalus Tighe.