Author Topic: Is This The Rarest Christian Name In All Ireland ? Abin !  (Read 9359 times)

Offline MBR1965

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Is This The Rarest Christian Name In All Ireland ? Abin !
« on: Monday 09 June 14 23:40 BST (UK) »
Finding a Michael Brennan in Castlecomer Kilkenny is like looking for a needle in a haystack but I have the advantage that his father (b.1837)  had a really unusual name - Abin.

I've not seen it anywhere else in Ireland, I was wondering if anyone here had ?

I am not looking for help in finding it, I have most of the info I need, I am just curious as to where this name comes from ( I think in the 18th century one ancestor called Abbon came from Killabban & thought it might come from the place name) .

I have seen it written (and misspelt) on offical records as Abin, Abbin, Abban, Abon, Abbon, Abden, Aban, Aben etc so can only presume that is was unknown as a name even then and being probably illiterate, he couldn't spell it for the census takers or church parish & civil registrars when married and later when registering his 6 children  so they had to guess.

By the turn of the century , my Great Grandfather, Michael Brennan crossed the water  to Gateshead with his brother John to work as miners. They married two sisters and both couples called one of their many children Abin (my grandfather) & lived next door to each other so I presume that is how it is supposed to be spelt officially.

Any thoughts ?

Best Wishes

Michael Brennan

Offline Sinann

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Re: Is This The Rarest Christian Name In All Ireland ? Abin !
« Reply #1 on: Monday 09 June 14 23:59 BST (UK) »
Very unusual name.
I found 1 Abbin
Abban 5
Abbon 1
Abden1
Aban 1
Aben 1
All on Irish Genealogy but not one Abin.
Could it be a bible name?

Offline Sinann

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Re: Is This The Rarest Christian Name In All Ireland ? Abin !
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 10 June 14 00:03 BST (UK) »
Hebrew it appears http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/meaning_of_Abin.html
How did that end up in Ireland! An interesting story I'd say.

Offline MBR1965

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Re: Is This The Rarest Christian Name In All Ireland ? Abin !
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 10 June 14 00:18 BST (UK) »
Very unusual name.
I found 1 Abbin
Abban 5
Abbon 1
Abden1
Aban 1
Aben 1
All on Irish Genealogy but not one Abin.
Could it be a bible name?

Not found it in the bible but those variants you found above all refer to one and the same person just various misspellings (or his descendants). At one point in 1901, in Castlecomer, two men called "Aban" Brennan were living almost in the same street :-
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/results.jsp?searchMoreVisible=false&census_year=1901&surname=brennan&firstname=aban&county19011911=Kilkenny&county1821=&county1831=&county1841=&county1851=&barony=&parish=&ward=&townland=&houseNumber=&familyId=&ded=&age=&sex=M&search=Search&ageInMonths=&relationToHead=&religion=&education=&occupation=&marriageStatus=&yearsMarried=&birthplace=&nativeCountry=&language=&deafdumb=&causeOfDeath=&yearOfDeath=&familiesNumber=&malesNumber=&femalesNumber=&maleServNumber=&femaleServNumber=&estChurchNumber=&romanCatNumber=&presbNumber=&protNumber=&marriageYears=&childrenBorn=&childrenLiving=

I suspect they must have been sons of brothers of the same father (if that makes sense)


Offline Sinann

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Re: Is This The Rarest Christian Name In All Ireland ? Abin !
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 10 June 14 01:02 BST (UK) »
None of tham are Castlecomer,
Abbin is Abbin Smith Dublin 1621
The Abban are Cork and Kerry and so on
They don't have Kilkenny baptism records.

There is 3 Abin in the 1901 Census 2 female!

Offline conahy calling

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Offline MBR1965

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Re: Is This The Rarest Christian Name In All Ireland ? Abin !
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 10 June 14 09:43 BST (UK) »
None of tham are Castlecomer,
Abbin is Abbin Smith Dublin 1621
The Abban are Cork and Kerry and so on
They don't have Kilkenny baptism records.

There is 3 Abin in the 1901 Census 2 female!


OK sorry, I see what you mean, it's just I found all those variants as I mentioned in my first post in the castlecomer civil & parish records from the 19th century on rootsireland and familysearch and they referred to the same person just different spellings.

I have highlighted the spelling mistakes in bold so you can see what I mean

1867 Abbin Brennan married Mary Kelly in castlecomer 30 November 1867

They had 6 kids

Michael Brennan b.1868 Father Abon Brennan Mother Mary Kelly

Birth : Elizabeth Brennan b.1870 Father Abbon Brennan Mother Mary Kelly
Baptism : Eliza Brennan1870 Father Abben Brennan Mother Mary Kenny

Mary Brennan b. Dec 1871 Father Abbon Brenan
Baptism : 1872 Father Abin Brennan (they got it right !!! ) Mother Mary Kelly

Winifred Brennan b. 1874 Father Abdin Brennan Mother Mary Kelly
Baptism : Father Abbon Brennan  Mother Mary Kelly

Birth : John Brenan b. 1876 Father Abbin Brenan Mother Mary Brenan  Kelly 

Birth : Catherine Brennan b. 1878 Father Abden Brennan Mother Mary Kelly
Baptism 1878 : Kate Brennan  Father Abbon Brennan Mother Mary Kelly

Death 1917 Q1 3/403 finally listed as Abin Brennan ( although they say estimated age 74 when in fact he was 80 ) and they also have him down as being 80 years old and called Aban in the 1901 census , 16 years earlier !!!!

You can see what a headache I have had but I am sure I am not the only one :p

Offline MBR1965

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Re: Is This The Rarest Christian Name In All Ireland ? Abin !
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 10 June 14 09:57 BST (UK) »
There is 3 Abin in the 1901 Census 2 female!

I have found a couple of "Abina" in my searches. :)

Offline MBR1965

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