(the) town(land) of —?

The evidence for this anglicised place-name clearly reflects derivation from generic baile followed by a word similar in shape to golac/goileac, golag/goileag or goileaig/goileaic.

It is difficult to determine the quality of the consonant -l- in the final element, but on balance spellings such as ‘-guillick’ (2a, 10) suggest that it was palatal (slender). The earliest example (1) suggests a final -g in the Irish precursor, as in the Irish suffix -óg, but all other examples point to a final -ck, as in -ac, which may indicate ultimate derivation from the Anglo-Norman hypocoristic suffix -ock (see BALLYCLEMOCK (#53511), par. Newbawn). The qualifying element of Ballygullick could therefore be interpreted as a gaelicised form of an Anglo-Norman name, e.g. Baile Goileac or Baile Goileaic (cf. Ballyshonock/Baile Sheonaic (#49829) in Waterford). This may represent a gaelicised form of Goodlake, Goodluck, Gullick (see Reaney, 1970 pp.140–1), a surname attested among the Anglo-Normans in Ireland (e.g. ‘David Gowelok’, SRI Edw. p.225). The name is also found in Wexford, but not until 1662 when a ‘Thos. Gullocke’ (Hore v p.335) is mentioned in connection with Wexford Town. It is not clear whether this person was a Cromwellian newcomer or a resident of earlier Anglo-Norman extraction.

It is interesting to note that Reaney (1970, pp.140–1) also proposes that some forms of the surname Gullick may be derived from the Old Norse name Guðleikr. Given that Gullick is not attested in Wexford at an early date, it is plausible that the final element in Ballygullick might be a rare example of an Old Norse (borrowed) personal name in a Wexford place-name. On the other hand, if -gullick is of Anglo-Norman origin, the fact that this Irish-language place-name must have been generated subsequent to the colonisation of South Wexford would provide evidence for an Irish community which continued to thrive for some time after the Anglo-Norman invasion.

[Excerpt from Logainmneacha na hÉireann IV: Townland Names of County Wexford, 2016]