Surname Begney - Meaning and Origin
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Begney: What does the surname Begney mean?
The last name Begney is of Irish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic name 'O Beagain', which means descendant of Beag. The root of this name could be the Irish word 'beag' meaning 'small', which was also used to denote someone of slight stature.
In the Irish language, the prefix 'O' is commonly used to denote a descendant of a certain family. Therefore, the meaning of Begney could be interpreted to mean 'descendant of the Small One'.
Though not much is known about its early history, the last name Begney has spread to other countries during the 19th and 20th centuries. The name appears to have become popular in the United States in the 1800s among the Irish immigrants. It is now also commonly found in Scotland and England.
Today, the members of the Begney family are widely dispersed around the world, suggesting that the family must have been numerous at one point. Common variations of the name include Begne, Begnay, Begny and Bigney. There are also records that suggest Begany is an alternate spelling.
The last name may also be of Jewish origin. Jewish families from Central Europe adopted the name when they were persecuted during the Medieval era. The name may have been derived from the Hebrew word 'bee' which means 'pure.'
Order DNA origin analysisBegney: Where does the name Begney come from?
The surname Begney is a variant of the Irish or Celtic surname Begney. It is uncommon today, with the highest concentrations of the name found in Canada and the United States.
In the United States, Begney has been fairly rare since the early 1900s when the U.S. Census first started tracking family names. There are only scant records of the name with fewer than a thousand people bearing the surname within the United States. The highest concentration of the surname Begney is in Pennsylvania, where there are more than 80 people with this last name.
In Canada, the original source of many Irish immigrants during the 19th century, the surname Begney is more common. In the 2016 Canadian Census, there were 1437 people with this name, with the highest concentrations being in Alberta, Ontario, and British Columbia.
With the majority of the surname Begney originating as an Irish and/or Scottish name, some of its bearers can still be found throughout Ireland. In recent years, genealogists have collected a great variety of records of Begney in Limerick.
In conclusion, the surname Begney is uncommon today, but it is more common in Canada and the United States than in other countries. It retains its Irish and Scottish roots and can still be found in certain countries and regions.
Variations of the surname Begney
The surname Begney, also spelled Begnay, Begné and Begnée, is of French origin. It is derived from the old French noun ‘begue’ (bed), which was originally used to describe a person who lived near a riverbed.
The surname is thought to have originated in the Old French verb ‘beguer’, meaning ‘to incline one's bed’ or ‘to rest’ by a riverbed. Over time, the name had become associated with a family or clan, either due to their location or their occupation of sleeping or fishing near a river.
Variants of the surname Begney include Begnay, Begné, and Begnée. These spellings are all derived from the French noun ‘begue’ or the verb ‘beguer’, with different endings.
The surname Begney is also believed to be the origin for many other surnames, including Bagnell, Banel, Bagnall, Begnoli, Regnier, Regnery, and Begoc. These surnames all share the same root word and are believed to be variations of the original French spelling of Begney.
In some cases, the spelling of the surname Begney has been adapted in various countries to fit the local language. For example, the surname Begno in Italy and the surname Begné in Spain are believed to have been adapted from the original French spelling.
In conclusion, Begney is a surname of French origin derived from the old French noun ‘begue’, meaning ‘bed’ or ‘resting by a riverbed’. Variants and surnames of the same origin include Begnay, Begné, Begnée, Bagnall, Bagnell, Banel, Begno, Begnoli, Regnier, Regnery and Begoc.
Famous people with the name Begney
- Hockey player Jared Begnell
- Ice hockey player Chad Begney
- Film producer Mark Begnaud
- Musician Ryan Begneaud
- Politician Keith Begnaud
- Curler Bille Begney
- Footballer Brian Begney
- Racing driver Randy Begney
- Chef Arthur Begnaud
- Astronaut Don Begneaud