Sorley (given name)

Sorley
Gender Masculine
Language(s) English
Origin
Language(s) Irish, Scottish Gaelic
Word/Name Somhairle
Other names
See also Somerled, Sorley (surname), Summerlad, Sumarliðr

Sorley is a masculine given name in the English language.

Etymology

Sorley is an Anglicised form of the Irish and Scottish Gaelic Somhairle. This Gaelic name is ultimately derived from the Old Norse Sumarliðr. The Gaelic name is sometimes derived from the English Somerled, which is in turn ultimately derived from the same Old Norse name.[1]

The Old Norse name likely originated as a byname, meaning "summer traveller"[1] or "summer follower", in reference to men who took to raiding during the summer months, as opposed to full-time raiders. It is a kenning for Viking.[2] An early occurrence of the term—sumarliða—is recorded within the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, under the year 871.[3] Another early occurrence of the term is Classi Somarlidiorum,[4] meaning "fleet of the sumarliðar",[3] which is recorded within the 12th century Chronicle of the Kings of Alba, in a record documenting an attack on Buchan in the mid 10th century. The most notable Norse bearer of (a form of) the name is Somerled, an 11th century Earl of Orkney.[5] Another prominent bearer of the name is Somerled, a mid 12th century Lord of Argyll.

The Scottish Gaelic Somhairle is sometimes Anglicised as Samuel, although the names are etymologically unrelated.

List of persons with the given name

Somerled
Somhairle
Sorley
Sumarlidi

References

  1. ^ a b Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, pp. 356, 409, ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1 .
  2. ^ Murray (1973) p.168.
  3. ^ a b Woolf, Alex (2007), From Pictland to Alba, 789–1070, Edinburgh University Press, p. 194, ISBN 9780748612338 .
  4. ^ Anderson, Alan Orr, ed. (1922), Early Sources of Scottish History: A.D. 500 to 1286, 1, Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, pp. 468–469, http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028144313 .
  5. ^ McDonald, R. Andrew; McLean, Scott A. (1992), "Somerled of Argyll: A New Look at Old Problems", The Scottish Historical Review (Edinburgh University Press) 71: 5–7, 7 fn 1, JSTOR 25530531 .