Blair Collection > Surnames & place-names of the Isle of Man

Bantea of StanMttaiiian a^itigtn. 87
Christian has come to us from Iceland, in the form
of Kristin. The Celtic Mac was prefixed to it,
and then it gradually became anglicised into its
present form.
Kristin is found in the Flateyjarhoc.
James, the seventh Earl of Derby, in one of his
letters to his son, said : ' There be many of the
Christians in this country — that is Christins
[for that is] the true name ; but they have made
themselves chief here.'* It is a very common
name in the Isle of Man, especially in the parish
of Maughold.
Compare (Scandinavian) Christian, Chris-
tiansen.
MacCrystyn [1408], Christiane [i499])t Christian,^:
MacChristene [1504], MacCristyn, MacChras-
TENE [1511], MACCRISTIN, MACCRISTEN [1586],
Christin [1610], Christing [1626], Cristen [1632].
Maughold, Andreas, Jurby, Bride, Lezayre, Malew,
Rushen, Onchan (vc), Braddan, Marown, Arbory, German,
Santon, Lonan (c), elsewhere (u).
Goree and Gorry, corrupted from (O.N.) Go5-
jrey^r. Bugge and others connect /rejySy with/n^,
'peace,' but this is very uncertain. Go^^frey^Y
would naturally pass through the various stages of
Godfraith, Godred, and Gored to Gore in
Scandinavian lips. In Ireland it became Goth-
fraith, Goffry, and finally Gorry.
Gothfraith is found in the Four Masters, and
* Manx Society, Vol. III., p. 49.
t This is given in the 'Statute Law Book' as 14 19, but it is more
probably 1499.
X Christian is not the usual form till the seventeenth century.