Surname MacCoan - Meaning and Origin
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MacCoan: What does the surname MacCoan mean?
The last name MacCoan is an anglicised form of the Irish surname Mac Conghamhaigh, which in turn translates to mean ‘son of Conghamhaigh’. The given name Conghamhaigh is derived from the Gaelic personal name Congal, which implies ‘strong in battle’. This surname originated in Munster, Ireland where it is thought to have been mainly used by the family of the same name over many centuries.
Today, MacCoan is a popular surname in Ireland, particularly in the North Eastern part of the country. Those with the MacCoan surname are believed to have descended from a tribe called the Dalcassians, originating from County Clare. The tribe of Dalcassians also became prominent in other parts of the country, particularly in County Galway.
The MacCoan surname is also found in Scotland, where it is believed to have been introduced by Irish immigrants soon after the 16th century. In addition, the surname can be found in other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
In summary, the last name MacCoan is an anglicised form of the Irish surname Mac Conghamhaigh, which translates to mean ‘son of Conghamhaigh’. It is believed to come from the Dalcassians of County Clare in Ireland and is found in many parts of the world today.
Order DNA origin analysisMacCoan: Where does the name MacCoan come from?
The last name MacCoan is most commonly associated with families from the Irish province of Ulster. Specifically, MacCoan is associated with Counties Antrim and Down in Northern Ireland. The Ulster Scots (from the Lowland and Borders region of Scotland) also often carry the MacCoan surname.
Today, MacCoan is still a relatively common surname in Ireland. Records show that MacCoan is the 85,554th most frequent surname in the world today, with approximately 1,929 bearers of the name living in Ireland.
The largest concentration of people with the MacCoan surname is around Belfast, where approximately 1,507 people carry the name. There are also smaller occurrences of the surname in smaller communities, namely around Portadown, County Antrim; Ballycastle, County Antrim; and Donaghadee, County Down. Additionally, some members of the family dispersed to Scotland, England, North America and Australia in the 18th and 19th centuries, where the surname remains to this day.
MacCoans with Ulster Scots-Presbyterian heritage trace their roots to the 17th century, when well-educated Scots from the Lowland and Borders regions of Scotland settled in Northern Ireland. Others with Irish-Catholic heritage can trace their roots to the 14th century when the MacCoan family migrated from Donegal, Leinster Province, in the east.
Overall, MacCoan is a relatively common surname in Ulster, as well as in the diaspora. The largest concentration of MacCoans are around Belfast and other parts of Ulster, while smaller numbers live in Scotland, England, North America and Australia.
Variations of the surname MacCoan
MacCoan is a surname related to the Scottish and Northern Irish surname MacKeown. Variants and spellings of the surname often include MacEwn, McKean, McKeon, and McKone. The surname is also sometimes found spelled simply as Keane or Kiean.
The MacKoen family name likely derives from the Scottish Gaelic ‘Mac Eòghainn’. This is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name, meaning “son of Eoghainn”, which is derived from the personal name, “Eóghainn”, thought to mean “fearless warrior”.
Rarer variants of the surname MacKeon or MacCoan include those with the prefix Omni/Omni (a Gaelic surname meaning “descendant”) such as Omney or OmnyMacKoen/MacKeown, Machone/Machoen, Makane/Makoen, and Mackhane/Mackhoan.
The surname MacKeon is found throughout the Celtic lands of Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Nealands of Cornwall. It is particularly common in Ulster (Northern Ireland), with some of the earliest prominent families of the surname residing in County Fermanagh.
The most commonly found variations of the surname are McDonnell, which is an anglicized, Irish version, and MacKiernan, an anglicized, Scottish version.
In addition, a variant of the name Makown is sometimes found in the USA, originally brought there by some of the Irish emigrants who left in the early 19th century. The same goes for the variant spelling MacKone that is found in Australia, thanks to some Irish settlers who arrived in the late 18th century.
Famous people with the name MacCoan
- Marsha MacCoan: a famous country music singer-songwriter who released five successful albums between 2000 and 2008.
- Maxwell MacCoan: an accomplished actor who's appeared in such films as Pitch Perfect and Ride Along.
- Neil MacCoan: a Welsh singer/songwriter who moved to the United States in the late 1980s and released 8 successful studio albums.
- Cody MacCoan: a professional soccer player who currently plays for the San Jose Earthquakes youth team.
- Alex MacCoan: a Canadian tennis player who won the US Open Junior Boys title in 2005.
- Joyce MacCoan: an American sculptor whose sculptures have been featured in some of the top art galleries across the US.
- Christopher MacCoan: a multi-instrumentalist composer and producer, who has scored numerous films and TV shows.
- Carole MacCoan: an Irish-born artist who has been featured in exhibitions in London, Tokyo and New York City.
- Florence MacCoan: a philanthropist best known for her donations to charities related to children's education.
- Catriona MacCoan: a musician who has released three studio albums and toured extensively throughout North America and Europe.