SUIBHNE: A name of uncertain meaning. Su means 'good,' but the meaning of the second part of the name is not clear. The opposite of Suibhne is Duibhne, where the first syllable has the meaning 'ill, bad.' The Rev. J. G. Campbell half a century ago drew attention to the fact that in Gaelic "s begins words denoting ease and motion, or gentle flow, while d denotes what is hard, stiff, stubborn, and difficult to move; thus soirbh means calm, gentle, quiet, affable, pliant, easily moved, while doirbh means rough, fierce, hard, difficult in manner or temper" (The Fians, 1891, p. 88). For purposes of comparison between s and d he gives a list of examples. The same difference extends to other languages besides Gaelic, e.g. Pali Sukha and Dukha-well-fare and ill-fare. Suibhne, Cuirtre's son, sixth abbot of Iona, died in 657 (Tighernach), and another Suibhne, sixteenth abbot, died in 772 (AU.). The death of Suibhne mac Cinaeda, ri Gallgaidhel (Suibhne, son of Kenneth, king of the Gall-Gaidil) is recorded in AU. under 1034.

John, son of Suffne, complained in 1301 to Edward I of England that his lands had been taken from him by John of Ergadia on behalf of John de Menteth, the king's enemy, and concludes by asking redress (Bain, II, 1255; DIS., a, p. 437). Suny (i.e. Suibhne) Magurke held land in Knapdale and Glenarewyle before 1314 (Bain, III, p. 80), and Suffne or Swene, son of Ewen (Sunicus or Suffinis Eugenii), lord of Oittyr, granted certain of his lands to Duncan, son of Alexander, in 1431 (OPS., II, p. 54). From Suibhne comes Irish Sweeney. The name has nothing to do with N. Sueinn, which became Suain in Gaelic.