Although both O’Donovan (16) and the authors of BPP (‘Baile Chlomóg’, p.22) suggest Irish forms in final -óg, the evidence above indicates that the Irish precursor to this anglicised place-name was Baile Chleamac or similar. The specific element is most likely a gaelicised form of the name Clemock (see 2, 5, 6, 9a, 10), itself probably derived from a pet form of Clement, namely Clem, with the hypocoristic suffix -oc(k).

This suffix occurs in quite a number of place-names (of Irish construction as well as English) that contain personal names of Anglo-Norman origin. Examples in Wexford include BALLYEDOCK (#53462), BALLYHADDOCK (#52674), BALLYHUBBOCK (#52325; #53270), BALLYSHONOCK (#52627), BALLYVOODOCK (#52232), JONASTOWN (#54013) (‘Johnocks towne’), REDMONDSTOWN (#54319) (‘Remockstown’), and YOUNGSTOWN (#53733) (‘Jonackstown’). Examples elsewhere include Attidavock (GY); Ballyhomuck (TY); Ballyhobuck, Ballyhomuck, Jamestown (‘Ballyheamocke’), Filbuckstown (‘Ballypille[b]og’, ‘the vill of Philip Reagh’) (KK); Ballymackredmond (‘Bally mc Remock’) (MO), Ballyhomack (LK) and Carrowhubbock (SO). Its frequent occurrence in place-names containing personal names of Anglo-Norman provenance strongly suggests that the suffix was productive within this ethnic group; it does not seem to have spread to names of native Irish origin.

The suffix cannot be derived from the OE diminutive -uc, -oc, which was no longer productive by the time of the Norman invasion of England (there is no evidence of any Norman name + English -oc in England; cf. Reaney, 1970 p.xxxiv). Peter McClure of the University of Hull makes the following suggestion:

...[the suffix] must therefore be Continental Germanic -oc, presumably introduced to the Anglo-Norman community in the Pale by Flemings and other speakers of Middle Dutch. Cf. Hanok as a pet form of Jehan (John) in Jehanne Hanoke, about 1300 (Pas-de-Calais) in Bougard and Gysseling, L’Impot royal en Artois, 1295–1302, p. 219; Willoc as a pet form of William in ‘domum...Willoci’, 1270 (Courtrai, Kortrijk) in Debrabandere, Kortrijkse naamkunde 1200–1300, p. 195. [pers. comm.]

This suffix is hereafter referred to as the ‘Anglo-Norman hypocoristic suffix -ock’ (in the . It appears in gaelicised names as both -ag and -ac, e.g. ‘mc Hubag’ (LMnG 832.11) and ‘m. Tomac’ (LMnG 827.7), and should not be confused with the Irish suffix -óg. For the sake of etymological clarity, it is considered preferable here to use the form with a final -ac in Irish forms, unless there is overriding evidence for -ag. Hence Baile Chleamac in final /k/ is the suggested Irish form of Ballyclemock here.

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