Surname MacGahan - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
MacGahan: What does the surname MacGahan mean?
The surname MacGahan is of Irish origin and is believed to be derived from the Gaelic "Mag Eacháin." The prefix "Mac" or "Mag" in Irish surnames means "son of," while the rest of the name "Eacháin" is derived from the personal name "Eachaidh" which translates to "horseman" or "horse-lord" in English. Thus, the name MacGahan would roughly mean "son of the horseman." However, the meanings of surnames can be quite fluid due to regional variations and evolutions in language over time. The spelling of this name has evolved over centuries and can be found in several forms including McGahan, Gahan, and even Gaghan. Despite these variances, all forms retain their Irish heritage. Such surnames were often indicators of familial relationships or professions in ancient Gaelic culture.
Order DNA origin analysisMacGahan: Where does the name MacGahan come from?
The surname MacGahan is of Irish origin. It's an anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Mag Eochain," which means 'son of Eochan'. The Gaelic personal name Eochan is a diminutive of "each", meaning 'horse'. This name was originally borne by a Gaelic Irish clan in the northern part of Ireland. Variations of the spelling can also include McGeoghegan, McGahan, and Geoghegan among others.
Today, the surname can be found in several countries due to Irish diaspora, but it is particularly common in the United States, specifically in areas that saw heavy Irish immigration. This includes regions such as the Northeastern states and parts of the Midwest. However, despite its distribution, it is still not a very common surname overall. In Ireland itself, it's more concentrated in areas of Ulster where the clan originally held territory, but again, the surname is not hugely prevalent even here.
Variations of the surname MacGahan
The surname MacGahan is of Irish origin and it has various variants and spellings due to regional differences, language translation and pronunciation, and historical influences. This surname is particularly associated with the Gaelic Mac Eacháin clan which translates to "son of Eachán". Thus, the name Eachán or Eochaidh, a popular male first name in ancient Ireland, is intricately linked to the surname.
Variants and spellings of the surname MacGahan include: MacEachan, McEachan, MacEachin, McEachin, MacGeoghegan, McGeoghegan, MacGoughan, McGoughan, MacGehan, McGehan, MacEgan, McEgan, MacEoghan, McEoghan, McGahan and MacGahan.
In some cases, the prefix 'Mac' or 'Mc', which denotes "son of", can be dropped, giving rise to variant spellings like Eachan, Eachin, Geoghegan, Goughan, Gehan, Egan, and Eoghan.
Also, due to Anglicization, some of these variants can be further modified. For example, MacEoghan can become Owens, MacGeoghegan can become Geoghegan, and MacEacháin can become Johnson (derived from 'son of John', which is the English counterpart of the Gaelic name).
Each of these variants has its own derivations and spellings, creating a large array of related surnames.
Famous people with the name MacGahan
- John MacGahan: American explorer and journalist
- Robert MacGahan: American Civil War soldier
- Alan MacGahan: former NCAA Secretary
- John Hall MacGahan: British Anglican priest
- Donald MacGahan: Canadian botanist
- George MacGahan: Scottish novelist
- Alexander MacGahan: Canadian journalist
- Joseph MacGahan: American businessman and politician
- Jeffrey MacGahan: American football player