Surname Goggans - Meaning and Origin

Goggans: What does the surname Goggans mean?

The surname Goggans is believed to be of Irish origin, from the Irish surname MacGoogan or O'Googan. However, the exact meaning of the name is not clear. It could possibly be derived from the Irish word 'gog', meaning 'a cleft or hook'.

This is in line with a common trend in surnames, where they are often derived from occupation, geographical location, or descriptive identifiers. In this case, if taken from 'gog', it could be a descriptive surname given to someone who lived near a cleft or hooked landscape feature, or possibly somebody who used such a tool in their trade.

However, please note that the origins and meanings of surnames can often be challenging to determine due to changes in language, spelling, and cultural translation over centuries, thus this is a possible interpretation.

It should also be noted that the spelling of surnames often changed, with variations in regional dialects and phonetic spellings, so Goggans may have different variations like Goggins, Gogan, or Goggin.

Goggans: Where does the name Goggans come from?

The surname Goggans most likely has Irish origins, derived from the Old Gaelic name "O'Gogain", meaning "young". Some sources indicate that it might also be of Welsh origin. This name was often Anglicized to Gogan or Goggin, with "Goggans" being a less common variant. Like many surnames, it underwent changes and variations in spelling over centuries due to factors like illiteracy or immigration.

Today, Goggans is not a very common surname. According to the 2014 United States Census, it is approximately the 12,930th most common surname in the U.S., with less than 0.001% of the population carrying this surname. It may be slightly more common in the Southeastern states of the U.S., including Georgia and Alabama. However, it's important to understand that families with this surname can be found in various regions due to the patterns of migration and settlement.

Variations of the surname Goggans

The surname Goggans is of Irish origin, specifically from Gaelic Mac Eochagáin, meaning "son of Eochaidh". Eochaidh is a personal name derived from "each", meaning horse.

The surname may have multiple variants due to regional and phonetic influences. These variants can include Goggin, Gogins, Goggan, Goggins, and Googins. Some other variations can involve slight changes in the letters like Goggons, Gogans, and Gogan, while spellings like Goggon or Goggen are also possible.

Spellings can also change with immigration due to phonetic transcriptions or simplifying the names resulting in names like Goggan or Gogen being adopted. Adding an extra prefix or suffix might result in versions such as McGoggans, O'Goggans, or Gogganses.

It's also possible for names to change entirely during immigration, but still have the same origin. So, related surnames could possibly include more Anglicised names like Egan, Eagan or Keegan, all stemming from the same Gaelic root of Mac Eochagáin. However, keep in mind that these connections can be speculative and should be confirmed with historical and genealogical research.

Famous people with the name Goggans

One notable person with the last name Goggans is Cynthia Goggans, an American professional basketball player who played for Washington Mystics in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Cynthia was a part of the 1998 Women's NCAA Division I Basketball Championship with the Tennessee Lady Vols. Sofia Goggans is another notable person with this surname. She is a child actress known for her role in the movie “Runaway Romance” and for taking part in several stage performances. In general, the surname Goggans isn't particularly common among famous figures. Please note that the popularity of names can vary significantly in different regions and cultural groups, and that not all notable people are internationally famous. This list doesn't include persons who have used 'Goggans' as a pen name or stage name. Also, please keep in mind that privacy concerns and professional pseudonyms might mean that many notable persons named Goggans are not publically associated with their birth name.

Other surnames

Goggan