Where the name "Ennis" came from?

[Scott6373]

In all the "Meet The Author" thingys she did, I am surprised no one ever asked her how she came up with that name

[Shakesthecoffecan]

Once long ago I saw a post that someone reported that Ennis, Montana had a DelMar Motel, but I have never seen any cooberating evidence.

[Penthesilea]

South of Dallas in Texas, along Highway 45 between Dallas and Houston, there's also a town named Ennis. Not far from Ennis, TX is a town (village?) named Alma. They're both in Ellis county. Here's a map of Ellis county where you can see both, Ennis and Alma:


(look at the right lower end of the map for Highway 45. Follow it and it leads you first to Alma, then to Ennis)


Naturally, I have no idea where Annie Proulx first encountered the name Ennis. But I firmly believe that she meant Ennis Del Mar to be an island in the sea.

[moremojo]

Ennis has been noted as both a geographic name (apart from the towns in Montana and Texas, there is also the one in Ireland) and as a family name, but apart from our fictional Ennis del Mar, I've never known of anyone bearing it as a first (or even middle) name. I wonder if Proulx had ever encountered anyone named thus in her own life.

[southendmd]

Bumping this interesting thread. 

In addition to the oft-quoted "Island of the sea" meaning, I found one source that defines "Ennis" not as "island", but as meaning "one choice".   It's one of those "what to name your baby" sites!  But, it suggests that Ennis as a name is a variant of Angus.

Ennis \e(n)-nis\ as a boy's name (also used as girl's name Ennis), is of Celtic origin, and the meaning of Ennis is "one choice". Variant of the Scottish Gaelic name Angus. 

Food for thought!

http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Ennis

[ifyoucantfixit]

     That seems very right to me..  It makes more sense than an island, especially since Ms Proulx is from a place, that obviously doesn't contain any islands, that I am aware of.  I have found that source also to have that result.  Gaelic, I mean.

   Thanks Paul