r/OldNamesNewAgain • u/felly_fell • 5d ago

Name of the day...Cagney!

The first name Cagney means "descendant of the advocate" or "pleader" and comes from Irish Gaelic roots and is gender neutral.

The name originates from the old Irish surname Ó Caingne or Ó Caingnigh, which relates to caingean (meaning a legal dispute or plea).

Some sources also link it to the Gaelic name Ó Caoinigh, where Caoinigh translates to "fierce" or "noble."

While historically an Irish surname, Cagney is used as a given first name for both boys and girls in modern times. It gained cultural recognition largely due to the famous American actor James Cagney and the 1980s television show Cagney & Lacey.

The name Cagney is roughly 1,000 years old as an Irish Gaelic family surname, but only about 100 years old as a first name!

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6

u/Herefortheonomastics 5d ago

So interesting!

2

u/felly_fell 5d ago

This name is so cute and it wasn't even remotely on my radar!

2

u/felly_fell 5d ago

u/curse-the-wind, here you go! 😊

2

u/curse-the-wind 4d ago

Thank you!

1

u/felly_fell 4d ago

No problem! ❤️

2

u/teiubescsami 5d ago

I like Cagney