Hello all,

I did an ancestryDNA test earlier this year and discovered that my father is not Irish (I was not aware of this prior to doing this test as he was never in my life and was never mentioned). His name is Light and thus I feel like a fraud bearing a false surname. Essentially, I am studying Irish intensely to achieve fluency and want to gaelicise my name after doing so. Would it be apt to change my surname to "Mac Solas", son of Light, I know this is unorthodox but my question relates to the translation, does light change form in the context of a name and thus it's spelling? Can someone confirm if "Mac Solas" would be an acceptable translation.


GRMA,
Seán

There seems to be one mention of it in the Annals. A name of a cup or goblet.

http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~alanmill ... taigh.html


Sorry about your disappointment. But even if your father wasn't ethnically Irish he could still have been Irish by birth, or he could've been adopted. I wonder how the Normans show up on a DNA test, or the Vikings too, plenty of both in Ireland going long back. You need to find out more before you rule him out as Irish.


The English surname "Light" is actually a topographical name, meaning clearing or field.
https://www.houseofnames.com/light-family-crest

So maybe the Irish name: Ó Fathaigh. Or Macaire. Maybe other people will better suggestions.

There's "light" as a noun
Mac Sholais = "Son of a Light"
Mac an tSolais = "Son of the Light"
But that's not a trad. Irish surname.

But "light" as an adjective means the contrary of "heavy", so there is the established surname:
Ó hÉadromáin = descendant of Éadromán
éadrom = "unheavy", light;
éadromán = light-headed person; giddy, frivolous, person; crazed person.

In my case, they show up as Western Europe in the area of Normandy. Very little Irish shows up. I knew this beforehand as the names in my family are Merle, Genevieve, Maurice, Bernard . . . there's a pattern here.



Nice ideas.



Interesting. Also, some good ideas.