Fire Emblem: Irish Etymology

[PandaCelt]

Hello, everyone! I'm not really sure if this belongs in the "Written Works" section, but this is something I've been doing in my spare time for the past while. Essentially, I'm just documenting all the characters throughout the Fire Emblem series whose names are of (often vaguely) Irish origin!

This "project" is purely for fun, and my main reason for posting it here is to get some input! Is there a character missing from this list whose name is of Irish origin? Or, just as importantly, is there a character present on this list whose name is definitely not of Irish origin? If you have any information to share, or even if you don't, feel free to share your thoughts! :)

CHARACTERS

Shadow Dragon
Ogma (Merecnary in the service of Talys)
Catria (Pegasus Knight of Macedon)
Dall (Thief, and the leader of a gang)

 

Gaiden
Boey (Mage) (Reason: Either of Scottish origin or much more commonly associated with Scotland.)

 

New Mystery of the Emblem
Ryan (A freshly recruited Altean Archer)

 

Genealogy of the Holy War
Naoise (“Cain” type Cavalier, adept with swords)
Arden (A slow but well-meaning Sword Armor)
Quan (Duke Knight of Leonster, and the wielder of the Gáe Bolg)
Ethlyn (Troubadour, and Quan’s wife)
Finn (A Lance Knight of Leonster)
Midir (Arch Knight who holds a candle for Edain)
Edain (Priest and noblewoman from Jungby)
Deirdre (Light Priestess)
Chulainn (Myrmidon)
Tailtiu (Thunder Mage)
Ethnia (Daughter of Duke Reptor, and Tailtiu’s younger sister)
Brigid (Sniper/Swordmaster; a pirate queen)
Grahnye
Mananan (The king of Isaach)
Mariccle (Mananan’s heir and Arya’s older brother)
Cimbaeth (Warrior)
Donovan (General)
Fotla (Wind Mage of Duke Bloom’s magi squad)
Eriu (Thunder Mage of Duke Bloom’s magi squad)
Banba (Fire Mage of Duke Bloom’s magi squad)
Muirne (Priest, Deimne’s sister)
Larcei (Myrmidon, Ulster’s sister)
Creidne (Myrmidon, and promotes to the first female Hero in series history. Larcei’s substitute)
Ulster (Myrmidon)
Oifey (Paladin)
Diarmuid (Free Knight, son of the legendary Beowolf)
Deimne (Arch Knight, Muirne’s brother)
Amid (Wind Mage)
Iuchar (Axe Knight, Iucharba’s brother)
Iucharba (Axe Fighter, Iuchar’s brother)
Shannan (The only male Swordmaster in his game)
Tine (Mage)
Febail (Bow Fighter, son of Brigid)
Coirpre (Priest)
Danann (Tyrannical Baron)
Brian (Master Knight, Danann’s son and brother to Iuchar and Iucharba)
Morigan (Dark Bishop)

 

Thracia 776
Orsin (Axe Fighter, member of the Fiana Freeblades)
Dagdar (Warrior, leader of the Fiana Freeblades)
Ronan (Bow Fighter, member of the Fiana Freeblades)
Fergus (Free Knight, possibly the bastard son of the legendary Beowolf)
Alva (A Lance Knight of Leonster)
Shannam (Swordmaster)

 

The Binding Blade
Lugh (Mage, Nino’s orphaned son)
Fir (Myrmidon)
Cath (Thief with a vendetta against nobles)
Murdock (General, and the loyal bodyguard of Zephiel)

 

The Blazing Blade
Brendan (Warrior, founder and leader of the Black Fang)
Desmond (The king of Bern, and the father of Zephiel)

 

The Sacred Stones
Colm (Thief)
Caellach (Hero, one of the Six Imperial Generals)
O’Neill (Fighter in Grado’s army)
Murray (Cavalier in Grado’s army)
Dara (Matron of Caer Pelyn)
Fomortiis (The Demon King of old)

 

Path of Radiance
Boyd (Fighter in Greil’s Mercenaries) (Reason: Either of Scottish origin or much more commonly associated with Scotland.)
Oscar (Lance Knight in Greil’s Mercenaries)
Kieran (Axe Knight of Crimea)
Ena (Red Dragon)

 

Radiant Dawn
Nolan (Fighter, leader of the Dawn Brigade)
Aran (Soldier of Daein)
Roark (Halberdier in Begnion’s army)

 

Awakening
Donnel (Villager; Village Hero)
Brady (Priest, Mariebelle’s son)
Ardri (A Grimleal Sorcerer)

 

Fates
Dwyer (Troubadour, Jakob’s son)

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LOCATIONS

Genealogy of the Holy War
The Manster District
Manster (A province in the Manster District)
Leonster (A province in the Manster District)
Alster (A province in the Manster District)
Conote (A province in the Manster District)
Tirnanog (A small town in northern Isaach)
Yied Desert (An inhospitable desert region, possibly named after "Aed", god of the Underworld(?)
Mease Castle (A castle in Thracia?)

Three Houses
Fódlan (The continent)
Brigid (A cluster of independent islands to the southwest?)
Sreng (A country to the north, separated by a mountain range)
Brionac Plateau (A stretch of land in the Adrestian Empire)
Airmid (Location in the Adrestian Empire)
Enbarr (A location in the Adrestian Empire. Near the southern coast)
Oghma (Location in the Adrestian Empire. Possibly some mountains)
Holy Kingdom of Faerghus
Conand (Location in Faerghus)
Fhirdiad (Location in Faerghus, near Conand)
Tailtean Plains (Location in Faerghus)
Aileill (A location in the Leicester Alliance. Borders Faerghus)
Derdriu (A location in the Leicester Alliance. Near Aileill)

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WEAPONS

Gáe Bolg (The divine lance of Njorun the Crusader)
Caladbolg (One of Daein's national treasures)
Lughnasadh (Another of Daein's national treasures)

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(To quickly clear up a few things: I haven't written up a summary as to the actual history of any of the names, mainly because this isn't something I thought I'd be sharing up until just now! Also, for my own sake, bosses have been marked in bold and background/purely plot characters in italics. Oh, and I thought I'd also include a few locations and a whopping three weapons that seem to be of Irish origin, too. Enjoy!)

Edited May 23, 2019 by PandaCelt

[Azz]

I wouldn't say Aran is Irish. Our islands of the west coast are called the Aran Islands, but Aran is originally Hebrew (being a variation of Aaron).

But the list check out pretty much everywhere else at a glance. It's actually kinda crazy seeing how much of FE (especially Jugdral) is inspired by Irish and Gaelic mythology, especially as an Irish person.

[PandaCelt]

21 minutes ago, ΔZZ said:

I wouldn't say Aran is Irish. Our islands of the west coast are called the Aran Islands, but Aran is originally Hebrew (being a variation of Aaron).

That's a very valid point! It was probably a little generous of me to assume that they named a character after the Irish version specifically. Just out of curiosity, do you know where the name of our own Aran Islands originates? Maybe from the same source as the Scottish ones?

[Azz]

14 minutes ago, PandaCelt said:

That's a very valid point! It was probably a little generous of me to assume that they named a character after the Irish version specifically. Just out of curiosity, do you know where the name of our own Aran Islands originates? Maybe from the same source as the Scottish ones?

I honestly don't know tbh. In Irish, the Aran Islands are Oileáin Árainn (which just means Aran Islands) but also in Irish, árainn means long ridge (apparently, tho I believe it's old Irish/pre-Celtic since in dictionaries it just means Aran, which is probably because Árainn is a legal place name).

It could really come from anywhere as Irish has evolved a lot as a language mainly because of how many variations of Gaelic (like there is Irish, Scottish and Welsh versions, also there is at least one dead form of Gaelic too) and also because time I suppose

[eclipse]

Interesting, but not quite the right subforum.  I'll shove this in General FE!

[PandaCelt]

4 minutes ago, eclipse said:

Interesting, but not quite the right subforum.  I'll shove this in General FE!

Apologies! I've never posted anything before, so I had a sneaking suspicion I'd get it wrong...

[eclipse]

1 minute ago, PandaCelt said:

Apologies! I've never posted anything before, so I had a sneaking suspicion I'd get it wrong...

It happens!  I usually leave a note when I move things, so it doesn't become a game of "WHY DID MY TOPIC VANISH?!"

Written Works is usually for stories and whatnot.  If it's a topic that's confined to one FE game, it goes in that particular game's subforum.  If it's specific to one era (like "who's your favorite GBA lord"), it would go in that era's subforum.  If it's across multiple eras and titles, it goes in General FE.

[PandaCelt]

2 minutes ago, eclipse said:

Written Works is usually for stories and whatnot.  If it's a topic that's confined to one FE game, it goes in that particular game's subforum.  If it's specific to one era (like "who's your favorite GBA lord"), it would go in that era's subforum.  If it's across multiple eras and titles, it goes in General FE.

Well, when you put it like that, it makes you wonder how I even got it wrong in the first place.  

Regardless, thanks for sorting it all out!

[Tryhard]

The majority of Gaelic names are taken from the Irish (likely mythology) counterpart in Fire Emblem I admit, especially in Jugdral, but some names like Boyd, Murray or Boey are either Scottish or shared as Gaelic more likely.

Of course, that's just a distinction, since Gaelic (Irish and Scottish) is a broad label.

Edited May 21, 2019 by Tryhard

[PandaCelt]

16 minutes ago, Tryhard said:

The majority of Gaelic names are taken from the Irish (likely mythology) counterpart in Fire Emblem I admit, especially in Jugdral, but some names like Boyd, Murray or Boey are either Scottish or shared as Gaelic more likely.

Of course, that's just a distinction, since Gaelic (Irish and Scottish) is a broad label.

That's exactly the kind of insight I'm looking for! Although Murray is definitely one of those shared names with origins in both countries, Boyd and Boey certainly lean towards the Scottish side of the spectrum. 

Edited May 21, 2019 by PandaCelt