Posted inTimes Record Opinion

Tom Purcell: Missing my Irish ancestors

Piglet! My Irish surname means piglet! Like millions of Americans, I’ve been poking into my heritage using ancestry sites, such as FamilySearch.com. That’s how I learned that “Purcell” is an occupational name of Norman origin for “swineherd.” My name derives from the Norman-French word “pourcel,” which comes from the Latin word “porus,” which means piglet! […]

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