Gender Feminine
Usage Irish

Meaning & History

From Old Irish Affraic, possibly from Afraicc, the Old Irish name of the continent of Africa (see Africa 1) [1]. Alternatively, it could be from *Aithbrecc, an unattested earlier form of Aithbhreac [2]. This was the name of two abbesses of Kildare in the 8th and 9th centuries. It was also borne by a 12th-century daughter of the king of the Isle of Mann who married the Anglo-Norman knight John de Courcy.

Related Names

VariantAfrica
Other Languages & CulturesAffraic(Old Irish)

People think this name is

classic   formal   upper class   natural   wholesome   strong   refined   strange   complex   serious  

Categories

Sources & References

  1. Ó Corráin, Donnchadh and Fidelma Maguire. Irish Names. Lilliput Press, 1992, page 14.
  2. Black, George Fraser. The Surnames of Scotland. New York: New York Public Library, 1946, page 10.
Entry updated January 21, 2022