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Meaning & History
This is said to have been the name of three warrior brothers who founded the Irish kingdom of Airgialla and whose descendents ruled the Scottish kingdom of Dal Riada. The name is of uncertain etymolgy and various unsubstantiated meanings are given, including 'high' or 'lofty' and 'strong man'. Another theory states that an ancestor of the three brothers adopted the surname after becoming a Roman citizen, forming it from the first element found in his hometown of Colchester. The problem with this theory is that Colchester at that time was known as Camulodunon or Camulodunum!