Ballyvarnet, County Down

Background

The 17th-century spellings show that the present form derives from Irish Baile Bhearnan ‘townland of the gap’, the final n having been dissimilated to t.  There is evidence elsewhere in Co. Down for dissimilation of this kind; see Ravernet (in Blaris) and Tullycarnet (in Knockbreda). In standard Modern Irish the normal gen. sing. of bearna ’a gap’ undergoes no change from the nom. sing.  However, a variant gen. sing. form is bearnan, which shows that bearna was also treated as an n-stem.  Forms 1-4 and 5b show that, at one time, the gen. sing. fem. form of the article na, was a part of this name.  These forms represent an Irish original Baile na Bearnan ‘townland of the gap’.

References

Hannan R. J. (1992): Place-Names of Northern Ireland vol. 2 p. 160; revised PT

Additional Information

Historical name form

Old Form	Ref. Date	Reference
Ballenbarnen	1603	Ex. Inq. (Dn) 2 Jac. I
Ballenbarnen	1605	CPR Jas I 38a
Ballenebarnen	1605	CPR Jas I 72b
Ballinebarnans, le 2	1605	Inq. Ult. (Down) $2 Jac I
(?)Ballebarne or Ballenebernen	1630	Ham. Patent [1630] xi
Ballevernon or Ballevernocke	1630	Ham. Patent [1630] xi
Ballebarnes al. Ballebrenan	1644	Inq. Ult. (Down) $104 Car I
Ballyvernon	1655c	Civ. Surv. x $68
Ballevernane	1661	BSD 90
Ballyvernan al. Ballyvernocke	1662	Inq. Ult. (Down) $23 Car II
Ballyvernan	1663	Sub. Roll Down 281
Ballyvernon	1681	Ham. Copy Rental 110
Ballyvarnet	1810	Wm. Map (OSNB) No. 54
Ballyvernon	1823	Downshire Direct. 316
Ballyvarnet	1830c	Bnd. Sur. (OSNB) No. 54
Ballyvarnett	1830c	Grand Jury Pres. (OSNB) No. 54
Baile Bhearnáin ""town of the little gap...""	1834c	J O'D (OSNB) No. 54

Barony

Ards Lower

Parish

Bangor

Parish in 1851

Bangor

Townland

None

Place name ID

17441

Place name type

T