The anonymous purveyor of observations and witticisms, and betimes cliches, was "the man", him to whom each bon mot was attributed - ". . . as the man said". However, he has taken on more substance in the increasingly used Americanism in Ireland, where an adult male is addressed "Hey, man". Man was used early on as a first name, and was used when addressing "servant, vassal, bondsman".
From this derived the surname Man(n). The Phone Book of Northern Ireland lists this name 67 times, and south of the Border, it appears 52 times, mainly in Munster and south Leinster. In his Sloinnte na hEireann/Irish Surnames, Sean de Bhulbh quotes Woulfe's Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall that this is O Machain in Irish, though in Ulster it came from Scotland. These derived from the first name Magnus, and may properly be Mac Manuis. "Further this name may be English and was so recorded in medieval times".
The Register of the Hospital of St John the Baptist Dublin notes Waltero Man was among the witnesses to wills in St Audoen's in 1257 and 1258, and in St Werburgh's in 1265 and 1271; William Man was a witness in a 1293 hearing. The Justiciary Rolls (1308-1314) notes that in 1308, John Man and his daughters, Alice and Isabella, held one messuage at Tristledermot, (later Castledermot), Co Kildare. At a 1311 hearing in Drogheda William Manne was among the jurors; the same year William Manne was among those charged in Louth with robbery.
In 1524 William Man, rector of St Nicolas's, Haynestown, and St Micheal's, Derwar, was listed among the absentee clergy, and again in 1535 when he was rector of Mansfieldstown. Patrick Mann, prepositus of Navan was a retailer of wine and beer in 1527; in 1538 Peter Manne was elected prior of Holmpatrick; in 1541 William Mann was listed as vicar of "Arthyrde, Co Uriel"; and in 1587 William Mann was a tenant in Ballybough.
The Proctor's accounts of Peter Lewis 1564-65 makes a number of references to William Man of Glasnevin, who was engaged to cart stones for repairs to Christ Church Cathedral. "This day William Man of Glasnewyng his cart was drawing of stones from Doddyr drew that day iij cart lode to help the churche, he having meat and dryncke that day . . . "
In 1551, Nicholas Mann, yeoman of Navan was alienated of the Lands of Heyston; in 1569 William Man, cooper, received a grant of a messuage in the parish of Saint Audoen; and in 1599, George Mann of the Nas and George Mann of Rathangan were among the listed pardoned. In 1592 Patrick Man had a house in Glasnevin, while a house in Oxmantown in 1601 was "late in the possession of William Man" (The Irish Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns).
Owners of Land of One Acre and Upwards (1876) lists Mann holdings at Hill Head, Co Derry (121 acres), while in Co Tyrone there was 175 acres, 955 acres at Dunmoyle, Six-mile-cross, and 458 acres at Aughnacloy.
Kinnear/Kinnier/Kinner when found in Ulster is a Scottish toponymic from a place in Fife, but in the South is Mac an Fhir (son of the man), according to de Bhulbh. Woulfe supplies the various anglicised forms - M'Ener/M'enir/M'Inner/ M'Innier. When the "c" of Mac (indicated by "k") transferred to the second element it gave Kinnear, Kinner, Kinnier, etc, Fiants noting pardons, listed Mortogh m'Iner, Alias Mortogh Ibren of Kilgreny, Co Carlow (1569); Morortahge m'Inyrr Kilgraney (1572); Moriertagh m'donill M'Iner amid many O Rians, Cavanaghs, M'Collytans etc. (1573); Dermot M'Enirre, Cullitory, Co Kildare (1587); and in 1601 with Donell Spaynagh Cavanaugh, gent, et al, Clonemullin (Clonmullen in the Co Carlow parish of Barragh), were James and Melaghlen M'Enerr.
Woulfe speculates Mac an Fhir was a short form of Fearganainm, Feardorcha or some other Irish personal name beginning with Fear. Fearganainm appears frequently in the above fiants, and the surname M'Fergananyme is listed 10 times. Irish Personal Names (O Corrain & Maguire) says the name means "nameless, anonymous".
There appears no longer to be a surname based on Feardorcha ("dark man"), though a number are found in a fiant of 1602 - Edmund m'Anfhir Dorcha, Shane m'Anfhir Dhorcha, Felim m'Anfir Dhorcha, Semus m'Anfer Dhorcha, Eoin boy Fer Dorcha and Teige m'Anfhir Dorcha - all among the pardoned of Inishowen, Co Donegal.
Castledermot, the name of a townland, parish, and town in Co Kildare is Diseart Diarmada, "hermitage of Diarmaid".