John Champ Carlin emigrated to the US from Ireland in early 1774, and later
joined the 7th Virginia Regiment in March 1776, making him apparently the first
Carlin to join the Revolutionary War.
His children include Asa Carlin, Amos Carlin and William Carlin.
Does anyone have specific information about the origins of the "middle" name,
"Champ?" Is it an actual name, or a nickname (such as, for example, might be
given today to a boxer)?
The name John Champ Carlin has been documented in several DAR applications, but
the middle name "Champ" has not been documented by other sources. Does anyone
have inf. about this?
Thanks, all.
Fred
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Frankie Meyer <fjmeyer(a)4state.com>
To: Fred Carlin <fred.carlin(a)worldnet.att.net>
Date: Thursday, May 13, 1999 5:45 PM
Subject: Re: The origins of the names CARLIN and CHAMP
I learned of the middle name from the DAR records of the other
descendants of John Champ Carlin who applied for membership in the
early 1900's.
I have found no other references that state the middle
name. Several of the descendants who applied were descended from
William Carlin, brother of my ancestor Asa.
As far as the origin of the name Carlin. I have discovered
that there are many, many. I corresponded with a nun at Dublin a few
years ago whose name had been Carlin before she joined the order. She
had been told by her family that they were descended from O'Carolin
who was a famous blind bard in the 17th century. The O in front of a
name means "descended from" so O'Carolin was descended from an
ancestor named Carolin.
Frankie
-----Original Message-----
From: Fred Carlin <fred.carlin(a)worldnet.att.net>
To: Jack McGrane <boru1004(a)aol.com>
Cc: Fjmeyer <fjmeyer(a)4state.com>; colincarlin(a)compuserve.com
<colincarlin(a)compuserve.com>
Date: Thursday, May 13, 1999 4:07 PM
Subject: The origins of the names CARLIN and CHAMP
>Jack, This is definitely going to be an unusual message. I'm sending
it to you
>in reliance on your expertise in Gaelic and in Irish history.
>
>The subject is John Champ Carlin, who emigrated to the US from
Ireland in 1774,
>and shortly thereafter enlisted in the 7th Virginia Regiment. He was
probably
>the first Carlin, from any Carlin family line, to enlist in the cause
of
>American indpendence.
>
>The specific question right now is the "middle" name, Champ.
Admittedly, this
>is an unusual "middle" name, and not typical. The question is: was
this his
>actual "middle" name, or was it a nickname, such as the name
"Champ"
given to a
>boxer.
>
>America's principal genealogical authority about John Champ Carlin is
Mrs.
>Frankie (Carlin) Meyer of Joplin, Missouri, who's a DAR member and
John Champ
>Carlin's 7th generation descendant. Colin Carlin, who sent me the
following
>email message, is a former resident of Northern Rhodesia (now
Zambia), the
>nation founded by good ol' Cecil Rhodes after he gave Mr. deBeers a
couple of
>thousand pounds for the deBeers land (from which billions have
derived).
>Conditions in Zambia no longer being appropriate for folks of
Caucasian
>ancestry, Colin and his family are now in Bath, England, and Colin
has spent 15
>years or so researching the early Irish and English origins of the
name Carlin.
>
>Jack, as you know, the name Carlin __really__ comes from Cairlinn,
the Viking
>commander and longboat captain after whom Carlingford, County Lough,
is named.
>(Cairlinn's fjord, or Carlin's fjord, = Carlingford.) For more inf.
about that,
>go to
http://attorney.carlin.net/carlingford-history.htm.
>
>But with regard to the origin of the name "Champ," Colin Carlin
raises some
>extraordinarily interesting questions.
>
>I've attached his two email messages, which are self-explanatory.
When you get
>a chance, Jack, I'd really appreciate your reactions and responses to
this.
>
>Forgetting the Viking origins of the Carlin name (which are, shall we
say,
>legend), we're all very interested in the origin of the Carlin name.
Thanks a
>lot, Jack.
>
>And, as always, best to thee and thine,
>
>Fred
>
>
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Colin Carlin <ColinCarlin(a)compuserve.com>
>To: Fred Carlin <fred.carlin(a)worldnet.att.net>
>Date: Thursday, May 13, 1999 12:13 PM
>Subject: John Champ Carlin
>
>
>Fred
>I knew I has something on this somewhere. Well I have found it!
>
>Perhaps Frankie Meyer knew this but other wise she might be
interested.
>
>Harrison in his "Surnames of the United Kingdom" Genealogical
Publishing
>Co. (Baltimore? )pp.71
>has as follows:
>
>Carolan
>Carollan
>Carrolan all = Carroll q.v. with the diminutive suffix "an"
>"We find the Irish mediaevil genitive for Ua Cearbhallain
>grandson or descendent of Cearbhallan"
>
>Now for the good bit
>
>Carroll = Warrior, Champion. In Irish = Cearbhall.
>
>thus John Champion Carlin = John Carroll Carolan = in Irish Sean
>Cearbhall Cearbhallain.
>
>This may place him among the "Southern" Carolan of Meath and Cavan
rather
>than the Northern Carolan of Tyrone, Derry and Donegal.
>
>hopes this helps
>
>-------------Forwarded Message-----------------
>
>From: Colin Carlin,
>To: "Fred Carlin", INTERNET:fred.carlin@worldnet.att.net
>
>Date: 13/05/99 10:45
>
>RE: John Champ Carlin (emigrated to US in 1774) and DAR
membership
>
>Fred.
>
>I am intriqued by the use of the name" Champ" as the middle name of
John
>Champ Carlin.
>
>This sound like a common nickname or expression from the North of
England
>rather than a formal second or middle name.( As in "Ey, its
Champion!".)
>
>The only connection that comes to mind is that he or his father
>were boxers, or prize fighters, perhaps at fairgrounds who used it as
a
>"professional" name.
>
>The other more interesting Irish connection is with the
distinguished
>Anglo Norman family of
>de Crespigny who use still Champion as one of numerous" family"
names.
>I note that Champion does not appear as a surname in Robert E.
Matheson's
>Special Report of 1890.
>
>Any one have any other thoughts on this?
>
>Colin Carlin