# First names with apostrophes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 26, 2001, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-with-apostrophes/89817 "2001-10-26T17:52:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-with-apostrophes/89817/41 "2001-10-31T19:24:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by They Call Me Sneeze \* > There is a Durango in Colorado, and I am pretty sure that’s how it’s spelled. > > It is really big on either trains or mountain biking. > > Right? I’m pretty sure, anyway. I was thinking of the Mexican state, but who knows where the truck-makers’ darts hit the map. Not sure about mountain bikes because I’m strictly a road bicyclist, myself. We’re wandering far afield from the OP. Let’s drop this hijack. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2001, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-with-apostrophes/89817/42 "2001-11-01T10:34:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fandango \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Izzardesque \* > > \*\*And if this is true (sorry, forgot to put this in my first post) why has the Welsh ‘ap’ dropped out of use when the Scottish and Irish versions haven’t? Just a thought. \*\* > > In a lot of cases, the ‘a’ just got dropped and the ‘p’ was added to the first syllable i.e. : ap Rice --\> Price \*\* Or Upjohn. ---
**Author:** ![Izzardesque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a9adbd/32.png) [@Izzardesque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Izzardesque)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2001, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-with-apostrophes/89817/43 "2001-11-01T11:29:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fandango \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Izzardesque \* > > \*\*And if this is true (sorry, forgot to put this in my first post) why has the Welsh ‘ap’ dropped out of use when the Scottish and Irish versions haven’t? Just a thought. \*\* > > In a lot of cases, the ‘a’ just got dropped and the ‘p’ was added to the first syllable i.e. : ap Rice --\> Price \*\* Are you sure this is right? You may very well be, but I have never heard Rice used as a name in Welsh. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2001, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-with-apostrophes/89817/44 "2001-11-01T12:10:19Z")
ap Rhys \> Price ap Hugh \> Pugh ap Richard \> Pritchard ---
**Author:** ![Izzardesque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a9adbd/32.png) [@Izzardesque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Izzardesque)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2001, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-with-apostrophes/89817/45 "2001-11-01T12:21:58Z")
Alright, alright. I get the picture! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2001, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-with-apostrophes/89817/46 "2001-11-01T19:19:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hibernicus \* > **I never thought about this before, but if it just means “from” why is it commonly followed by the genitive? The word “ó” meaning “from” would not have a genitive. I think Jomo Mojo may be on to something here.** Yeah, that’s a good point hibernicus. I guess what I was trying to get across is that the word doesn’t literally just mean “grandson”, even though it’s commonly translated that way. It can also mean simply “descendant” - and in that case of course it would take the genitive. > [@](#): > > However, it’s hard to explain why “Ó” doesn’t aspirate the following noun, while the female version “Ní” does. It’s a holdover from Old Irish, in which singular masculine nouns in the nominative case didn’t cause lenition in nouns in the genitive case, but singular feminine nouns did. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-with-apostrophes/89817.md?page=2)