Dia dhiaobh.

I'm looking at changing my name into Irish on my passport and with bank of Ireland etc but my surname : "Totterdell" is English so there's no Irish equivalent. Was looking for some help on what would work for a native speaker. From what I can find online, my surname means "lookout/watch-tower/vantage point on the hill". Some sources say its specifcally a lookout for deer. So my understanding is most irish surnames are family names rather than place names so something like Ó Cnoc na hOs faire for example wouldn't be a natural surname in Ireland. I'm looking to try and keep as much meaning to the old name as possible while being understandable and reasonable in Irish rather than a literal translation. From eDil, the best I can come up with is Ó Cnocaire but im not sure if you can just combine two words like that. I'd greatly appreciate any advice!

Cheers

I've been trying to do something similar with my own surname, and it's surprisingly difficult to find an Irish version that sounds natural while still preserving the original meaning. I'm looking forward to seeing what native speakers suggest because I want something that feels authentic rather than just a literal translation.

Ó Cnoc na hOs faire - I’m afraid that would sound ridiculous.

I found this. No mention of deer.
https://surnamedb.com/Surname/totterdell

Dale and Dell are common words for “valley” in British English, especially in Yorkshire.
You have probably heard of the Yorkshire Dales.



This is a website of Irish names. Look through it to find one with a suitable meaning.

https://www.libraryireland.com/names/contents.php

Do you mean Orborne which is a variation of Osborne?

If so, it seems to have a presence in Ireland since the Viking days but I can’t find the actual Irish version. That’s not to say it doesn’t exist.

I found this, it’s English origin not Norse.
https://www.libraryireland.com/names/os/osbur.php

If you can’t find the real Irish version maybe go with -
Ó hÓsbur
Mac Ósbur