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ArchivesRe: surnames Melia & O'Melia
in reply to a message by C.Colombo
They are the same name, as I'm sure you realise. The Irish form is O Maelle, a variant of O Maille, i.e., O'Malley. So "descendant of Maille", and it's anybody's guess what Maille means.
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I am also looking for the meaning of the name Melia, when I was in school my surname was O'Maille as I'm Irish and they change your name into the Irish meaning. But it was never thought to be an Irish name. On a recent work related trip to Italy most Italian colleagues thought I was Italian because they told me that Melia is a Italian surname that originates near Sicily.
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Hi All,
I'm looking into the origins of my surname Melia. I am Scottish however my grandparents were Irish from Summerhill in County Meath and I have been told that the name originates from Malta?? as during the Spanish war with England alot of Spanish/Mailtese settled in Southern Ireland. Most of my family have the typical re hair and pale skin but I have some family members who have olive skin and dark hair which would explain that theory. If any of you can help me out, please let me know. My email is srmelia78@hotmail.com
I'm looking into the origins of my surname Melia. I am Scottish however my grandparents were Irish from Summerhill in County Meath and I have been told that the name originates from Malta?? as during the Spanish war with England alot of Spanish/Mailtese settled in Southern Ireland. Most of my family have the typical re hair and pale skin but I have some family members who have olive skin and dark hair which would explain that theory. If any of you can help me out, please let me know. My email is srmelia78@hotmail.com
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Melia is as Irish as Murphy and Kelly as you can see at tinyurl.com/ycvtploy.
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My Irish name books say the following:
Both are variants of O'Malley and that O'Melia is rather rare and only found in Dublin while Melia is numerous in Galway, Donegal and the North Midlands.
The names do come from Ó Máille which several books suggest comes from a Celtic word, maglios which may mean "a chief". There is a modern Irish word 'máille' which means mail as in armour ...maybe a connection, maybe not ...
Both are variants of O'Malley and that O'Melia is rather rare and only found in Dublin while Melia is numerous in Galway, Donegal and the North Midlands.
The names do come from Ó Máille which several books suggest comes from a Celtic word, maglios which may mean "a chief". There is a modern Irish word 'máille' which means mail as in armour ...maybe a connection, maybe not ...
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The "chief" suggestion is a distinct possibility. There was an Old Irish word, MAL, which meant "chief", no doubt derived from maglios. Maille could be later development or a genitive form.
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I have found Maille as an Irish form of Molly but also as an Irish word meaning "together with" - possibly could be used in the sense of an ally. :/
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I prefer the second suggestion as a possible explanation. I'm open to correction here, but I've a strong feeling that Gaelic surnames (Irish and Scots Gaelic) are never based on female given names. This may be true of surnames from other Celtic languages too. The search goes on for a Celtic metronym.
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I agree, I've never heard of an Irish matronymic surname (doesn't mean there aren't any, just don't know of any). The second one sounded better to me as well, but I can't find conclusive proof it's from that.
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