Surname McCaughan - Meaning and Origin
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McCaughan: What does the surname McCaughan mean?
The last name McCaughan is of Scottish and Irish origin and it is a variant of the surname McCutcheon. It evolved from the old Gaelic surname Mac Eachain, which means "son of Eachan". The term "Eachan" itself can be broken down into two elements: "each", meaning horse, and "don", meaning brown; thus, the name could be translated to "son of the brown horse". These "Mac" or "Mc" names were generally created to denote relationships or lineage, indicating that the person is the 'son of' the person or clan they were named after. Therefore, the surname McCaughan can be seen as relating to descendents of a person named Eachan, or indicating a historic familial role involving horses. Please note that surname meanings can vary based on geographical location and time period, and multiple interpretations may exist.
Order DNA origin analysisMcCaughan: Where does the name McCaughan come from?
The surname McCaughan originates from Ireland. Specifically, it is a derivative of the Old Gaelic name "Mac Eachain," where "Mac" means son of, and "Eachain" is a personal first name meaning "horse lord" or "steed lord". This name was particularly popular in County Derry and parts of Ulster. It was traditionally Anglicized as "McCahan," but evolved into McCaughan over time due to phonetic spellings and pronunciations.
Today, the surname McCaughan is still most common in Ireland, particularly in the regions of Ulster and Munster. Outside of Ireland, it is found among the Irish diaspora across the world, especially in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia. However, its prevalence in these countries is relatively scant compared to other Irish surnames, given the sparsity of the McCaughan population.
Variations of the surname McCaughan
The surname McCaughan originates from the Irish Gaelic name Mac Eacháin, which translates as "son of Eachán." Eachán in Gaelic essentially means "horseman". Alternative spellings and variations of McCaughan can include MacCahan, McCahan, McCann, MacAghon, Caghan, Cahan, Kahan, Keaghan, McCann, McEachan, McEachin, McKeegan, etc.
These names can be further modified by spelling preferences, phonetic interpretation, and regional accents, which can lead to the creation of a wide array of additional variations over time and across different geographical locations. An example might be the use of "K" instead of "C" or double "n" at the end.
Despite the differences in spelling and pronunciation, these names are all believed to refer back to the same Irish Gaelic root. The distribution of these variations can often tell a story about how families with this heritage have migrated and become established in different regions.
On the other hand, variations of the name McCaughan also exist due to its phonetic similarities with other Irish last names. For example, it may often be confused with the family name McCahan, which originates from a completely different Gaelic name Mac Catháin.
This variety of spellings and modifications makes tracing family histories particularly complex in Irish genealogy.
Famous people with the name McCaughan
- Norman MacCaughan, American Major League Baseball player
- James MacCaughan, Australian footballer
- Patrick MacCaughan, former Canadian cabinet minister
- John MacCaughan, American singer-songwriter
- Sarah McCaughan, a New Zealand news presenter
- George McCaughan, American soldier who served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War
- Ian McCaughan, British actor
- William MacCaughan, British actor
- Seamus MacCaughan, Irish actor
- Sarah McCaughan, New Zealand news presenter
- Ronnie McCaughan, British footballer
- Sam McCaughan, American basketball player
- Sean McCaughan, Australian actor
- Pat McCaughan, Australian television presenter
- Joseph McCaughan, American brigadier general
- Scott McCaughan, Canadian ice hockey player
- Arthur McCaughan, Irish writer and historian
- Harry McCaughan, Scottish character actor
- Colin McCaughan, Australian rules footballer
- Shirley McCaughan, Canadian politician
- Patrick McCaughan, American actor
- Kirsty McCaughan, British tennis player
- Bill McCaughan, American football player