A Chairde,

I was wondering would it be possible to modernize the spelling of Ó Céatfhadha in the same way Ó Flaithearta was modernized from Ó Flaithbheartaigh ? Or what a simplified spelling would look like ? (Céata)?

Maybe like "Murchadha" is now spelled "Murchú", "Céatfhadha" would become "Céatú".

But you'll need to get more input from others on this.

Cheers,
Tim

Ó Céata - would be my guess too, but I can't find that online.


Keating is usually written in Irish as "Ó Céitinn", like the famous poet.

Bríd's mention of Ó Céitinn maybe more on point than she thought.

According to MacLysaght's Surnames of Ireland, Ó Céitinn is a Gaelicization of the Anglo-Norman surname Keating, which is itself possibly from the Welsh given or first name Cethyn. He goes on to say that Ó Céatfhadha (which he says may be derived from céatfhaidh, meaning "sense"), which was first anglicized as Keaty, was frequently later changed to Keating.

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I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.

ceatach, you asked for a possible modernisation of Ó Céatfhadha; I imagine this is as close as you can get. I'm not sure how the ending of Ó Céatfhadha, ie "adha, is pronounced but after seeing Bríd's post I think that the similarity to "Murchú" wouldn't be right.