Surname Boughan - Meaning and Origin

Boughan: What does the surname Boughan mean?

The surname Boughan is of Irish origin and derives from the Gaelic name Ó Buacháin. The prefix "Ó" translates to "grandson of" or "descendent of," while "Buacháin" comes from "buachaill," meaning "boy" or "herdsman." Therefore, the name generally means "descendant of the herdsman." It is found primarily in the province of Munster, specifically in County Clare and County Cork. Like many Irish surnames, the spelling and pronunciation have changed over centuries due to English influence, leading to many phonetic variations, including Bohan, Bohane, and Boughn among others.

Boughan: Where does the name Boughan come from?

The surname Boughan is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name O Buachain, which means "descendant of Buachan", Buachan being a personal name that translates to "herdsman". The Boughan surname is also often anglicized as Bohan and has various other spellings like Bohane, Bowhan, and Bogan.

In the past, the Boughan family was mainly concentrated in the Irish county of Offaly, and to some extent in the neighboring counties of Leitrim and Roscommon. Over centuries, the name has spread to other parts of Ireland and beyond, particularly to countries where the Irish have migrated, most notably the United States, Canada, Australia, and Great Britain.

Today, the surname Boughan can be found globally due to the diaspora, but it remains most common in Ireland and among those of Irish descent in the countries mentioned above. In modern times, the highest concentration of people bearing the surname Boughan is still found in Ireland, specifically within its historical heartland in Offaly.

Variations of the surname Boughan

The surname Boughan is English in origin and is believed to descend from an Old English given name, although it is not certain which one. Variants of the name Boughan include Bowgan, Bogan, Boghan, Bougan, and Boggen. Some of these differing spellings may arise from regional dialectal differences in pronunciation and spelling.

The name might also be related to the Irish surname Bogan, pronounced with a hard 'g', from the Gaelic Ó Buagáin, meaning "descendant of Buagán." Buagán was a personal name derived from the word 'buag', meaning 'vain or reckless'.

Moreover, there may be connections to the Scottish surname Buchanan, though this is less certain. Buchanan can be derived from the Gaelic ‘buth chanain’ meaning 'house of the canon.'

In the context of surnames, it's worth noting that variant spellings were much more common in past centuries, largely due to lack of standard grammar and spelling rules which meant scribes often wrote names as they sounded. Therefore, historical documents may contain many variations of the same name.

Transliteration from different scripts (e.g., from Gaelic to English) can also lead to different spellings of the same surname.

Famous people with the name Boughan

• Betty Boughan: renowned pageant queen
• Mattis Boughan: professional soccer player from Slovakia
• Grace Boughan: award-winning English actress
• Stephen Boughan: award-winning painter
• Lyle Boughan: former Major League Baseball player
• Gabriel Boughan: pop singer-songwriter
• Andrew Boughan: film director and producer
• Angie Boughan: former Olympic equestrian
• William Boughan: Country Music Hall of Fame songwriter
• Gail Boughan: award-winning Librettist
• Greer Boughan: Founder of bicycle charity Wheels of Change
• James Boughan: Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering
• Richard Boughan: Grammy award-winning musician
• Emily Boughan: Broadway actress and dancer
• Robert Boughan: World War II veteran
• Lou Boughan: Olympic medalist and cyclist
• Maryanne Boughan: painter and sculptor
• Michael Boughan: UK business executive
• Samuel Boughan: British colonel and cartographer
• Elizabeth Boughan: Director of the Kennedy Center

Other surnames

BoughBoughannanBoughenBougherBoughmanBoughnBoughton