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Scottish Gaelic Given Names for Women

Scottish Gaelic Given Names for Women:
Names of Scottish Gaels from Non-Gaelic Scottish Sources

Cairistiona?
Draft Edition

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Last updated 6 Nov 2001

This is a draft edition! It is very incomplete! See the first part of this article. You have been warned!

Pre-1600 Scottish Gaelic Evidence

As yet, no pre-1600 Scottish Gaelic examples of the name have been found.

Pre-1600 Latin Language Evidence

A list of Gaels who were parishioners in Kilmacronak in Muckarne, in the west Highlands, in 1541 included "Karistina nein a doura".[Ewen, p. 209] But here her name is being recorded in Latin, not Gaelic. The particular spelling <Karistina> may (or may not) be because it was an attempt to phonetically render a Gaelic form of the name.

So while this shows that mid-16th century Scottish Gaels were using a name that was recorded in Latin documents as <Karistina>, it does not tell us what the medieval Gaelic form of that name was.

Pre-1600 Scots Language Evidence

Pre-1600 Irish Gaelic Evidence

Modern Scottish Gaelic Evidence

Cairistìona ... Common. Derived from the Latin Christina, a female form of Christianus, meaning a follower of Christ. The name was that of a Roman virgin martyred in Bolsena in 295, and was brought to Scotland by Queen Mairead (Margaret) in the 11th century. Occasionally spelt Cairstìona. Cognate with Christine. See Ciorstag, Ciorstaidh, Ciorstan, Criosaidh. (Morgan, s.n. Cairistìona)

Note that Morgan is not careful about historical name forms, but often uses modern name forms in reference to historical people even though they may never have been known in their own times by that modern form of their name. Also note that where Morgan says "The name was that of a Roman virgin...", "the name" in question is Latin <Christina>, not Gaelic <Cairistìona>.

Speculative Pre-1600 Scottish Gaelic Form