Cormac is a masculine

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

in the

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

languages. The name is ancient in the Irish language and is also seen in the rendered

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...

as ''Kormákr''. Mac is Irish for "son", and can be used as either a prefix or a suffix. The derivation of "cor" is not so clear. The most popular speculation is that it is from "corb," the old Irish for wheel, perhaps designating someone who fought in a cart or chariot as male names are often derived from order of battle. (For instance "Gary, Garth, etc., from "gar" for "spear.") However, some etymologies suggest it derives from the old Irish for "raven", a bird laden with mystical meaning for the Celts, and often used to mean "legend" or "legendary". Similarly, it might refer specifically to Corb, one of the legendary

Fomorians The Fomorians or Fomori ( sga, Fomóire, Modern ga, Fomhóraigh / Fomóraigh) are a supernatural race in Irish mythology, who are often portrayed as hostile and monstrous beings. Originally they were said to come from under the sea or the eart ...

of Irish mythology. Today the name is typically listed in baby names books as meaning "raven" or "legend" or sometimes as "charioteer".

People with the name

Cormac *

Cormac Mac Airt Cormac mac Airt, also known as Cormac ua Cuinn (grandson of Conn) or Cormac Ulfada (long beard), was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He is probably the most famous of the ancient High Kings ...

, semi-historical High King of Ireland, Ruler of Tara ca. 227-266 *

Cormac Cond Longas Cormac Cond Longas (Connlongas, Connloinges, "Exiled Prince") was the eldest son of Conchobar mac Nessa by his own mother, Ness, in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. His foster father was Fergus mac Róich. Cormac followed Fergus into exile in ...

, exiled prince of

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...

from

Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later written down in the early medieval era by Ch ...

Cormac of Armagh Cormac (also called Corbmac) (c. 430 – 17 February 497), Bishop of Armagh and Abbot of Armagh monastery, Ireland from 481 to 17 February 497. Genealogy and birth Cormac was from the Clann Chernaig in Crioch-an-Earnaidhe ('Territory of the ...

(c.430 - 17 February 497), Archbishop of Armagh diocese and Abbot of Armagh monastery, Ireland from 481 to 17 February 497 *

Cormac mac Cuilennáin Cormac mac Cuilennáin (died 13 September 908) was an Irish bishop and the king of Munster from 902 until his death at the Battle of Bellaghmoon. He was killed in Leinster. Cormac was regarded as a saintly figure after his death, and his shri ...

, ninth-century bishop and king *

Cormac of Dunkeld Cormac, Bishop of Dunkeld (fl. x1114-1131x) is the earliest recorded Bishop of Dunkeld in the 12th century, although he was not the first bishop of Dunkeld. It is possible, that he was the first bishop of Dunkeld distinct from the abbot, but there ...

ca. 1114–1131,

Bishop of Dunkeld The Bishop of Dunkeld is the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Dunkeld, one of the largest and more important of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th-century cleric named Cormac. However, the first ...

* Cormac Mac Carthaigh, Bishop and King of Cashel, ? -1388 * Cormac Láidir MacCarthy (1411-1494), Irish Chieftain, discoverer of the

Blarney Stone The Blarney Stone ( ga, Cloch na Blarnan) is a block of Carboniferous limestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle, Blarney, about from Cork (city), Cork, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. According to legend, kissing the stone endows th ...

and builder of

Blarney Castle Blarney Castle ( ga, Caisleán na Blarnan) is a medieval stronghold in Blarney, near Cork, Ireland. Though earlier fortifications were built on the same spot, the current keep was built by the MacCarthy of Muskerry dynasty, a cadet branch of th ...

. *

Cormac McCarthy Cormac McCarthy (born Charles Joseph McCarthy Jr., July 20, 1933) is an American writer who has written twelve novels, two plays, five screenplays and three short stories, spanning the Western and post-apocalyptic genres. He is known for his gr ...

, American novelist *

Cormac Breslin Cormac Michael Breslin (25 April 1902 – 23 January 1978) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann from 1967 to 1973. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1937 to 1977. He was born in Bunbeg, Gwee ...

, Irish politician *

Cormac Murphy-O'Connor Cormac Murphy-O'Connor (24 August 1932 – 1 September 2017) was a British cardinal, the Archbishop of Westminster and president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. He was made cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001. He s ...

, Cardinal and Archbishop of Westminster *

Cormac Antram Father Cormac Antram O.F.M. (May 18, 1926 – October 1, 2013), born James Antram and known as Father Cormac, was a Catholic priest and member of the Franciscan order who became known for his work on the Navajo Nation and with the Navajo language.L ...

(1926-2013), also known as Father Cormac, American priest and expert on the

Navajo language Navajo or Navaho (; Navajo: or ) is a Southern Athabaskan language of the Na-Dené family, through which it is related to languages spoken across the western areas of North America. Navajo is spoken primarily in the Southwestern United Stat ...

Cormac Costello Cormac Costello (born 18 July 1994) is a Gaelic football forward for the Dublin county team, with which he has won three All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medals and four National Football League medals. The former Ardscoil Rís stude ...

, Gaelic football player *

Cormac Ua Liatháin Cormac Ua Liatháin was a 6th-century Irish saint who is only known from Adomnan of Iona's ''Vita Columbae''. In Adomnan's narrative, Cormac gets mentioned three times. Cormac appeared to be a kind of anchorite monk who searched for islands on ...

, Irish saint Kormákr *

Kormákr Ögmundarson Kormákr Ögmundarson (Old Norse: ; Modern Icelandic: ) was a 10th-century Icelandic skald. He is the protagonist of ''Kormáks saga'' which preserves a significant amount of poetry attributed to him. According to ''Skáldatal'' he was also the c ...

the skald, hero of ''

Kormáks saga ''Kormáks saga'' () is one of the Icelanders' sagas. The saga was probably written during the first part of the 13th century. Though the saga is believed to have been among the earliest sagas composed it is well preserved. The unknown author cle ...

References

{{given name English-language masculine given names Irish-language masculine given names

People with the name

See also

References