Surname McKown - Meaning and Origin

McKown: What does the surname McKown mean?

The surname McKown is of Scottish and Irish origin. It's an Anglicized form of the Gaelic "Mac Eoghain", which means "son of Eoghan". The name "Eoghan" originates from an old Gaelic personal name that is believed to mean "born of the yew tree" or "youth". Over time, the surname evolved into various forms, often based on region, dialect, or usage, resulting in variants like MacEwen, McEwen, McKeown, and McKowan. It is important to remember that surname meanings can be approximate as they were often based on someone's occupation, geographical location, or personal characteristics and these could differ between communities and time periods. In its various forms, this surname is quite popular in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and among descendants in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.

McKown: Where does the name McKown come from?

The surname McKown is of Scottish origin, stemming from the Gaelic MacEoghainn, which means "son of Eoghainn". Eoghainn is a personal name derived from the Greek "Eugenios", meaning well-born or noble. This name originated in the Hebrides region of Scotland, and later also became common in Ulster, Ireland. The anglicized form of this surname can have variants such as MacEoin, MacOwen, MacCune, and McKown. Today, there are McKowns found throughout the English-speaking world, with a particular concentration in the United States, especially in the states of Pennsylvania, California, and Ohio. It is also relatively common in parts of Canada, England, and Australia too. However, there has been a tendency of the surname to fade somewhat, as is common with several other Scottish and Irish surnames that are often confounded with other similar sounding surnames.

Variations of the surname McKown

The surname McKown is of Scottish and Irish origin, referring originally to the son of the servant of John (mac means son and Eoin is a form of John). Variants and alternative spellings of the same surname include MacEoin, McEwen, MacEwan, MacEwing, McKeown, McKeon, McKean, McKeone, MacKeon, MacKewan, and MacKeone.

Other surnames derived from the same root include MacOwen, MacKown, MacClune, MacClune, McCune, MacCune, McKeon, MacKane, McKane, McKain, McKean, and McCowan. These variants are due to regional dialect differences, translations between languages, and shifts in spelling over time.

Surnames of the same origin also include those that have undergone Anglicization, such as Johnson (from Mac Eoin, meaning "son of John"), Ewing, Ewan, and Ewen.

The diversity and multitude of these name variants and spellings can be attributed to the lack of standardized spelling in early history. Registration officers and church officials frequently recorded the name phonetically, resulting in a wide range of surname spellings. Therefore, McKown and its variants can be found all over Ireland, Scotland, and in countries where these peoples emigrated, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Famous people with the name McKown

• Garry McKown: American professional football player in the National Football League.
• John McKown: American actor and voice actor best known for his voice role in The Real Ghostbusters.
• Alan McKown: American scientist and inventor, best known for his work on development of the electron microscope.
• Margaret McKown: American actress and model, known for her roles in films and TV series like Snake Eye and Aqua Rush.
• David McKown: American musician, best known for his contributions to rock music from the late 1970s through the early 1990s.
• William McKown: former U.S. Marine Corps Major General and commander of the 4th Marine Division in the South Pacific during World War II.
• Jeannette McKown: American politician and former Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts.
• Verl McKown: American playwright, known for his works Miracle of the Small Wax Figurines and Night of The Wings.
• Robert McKown: American professor specializing in Southeast Asian history at Williams College, Massachusetts.
• Anthony McKown: American businessman and philanthropist, known for his support of numerous human rights causes.

Other surnames

McKowan