Surname Melican - Meaning and Origin

Melican: What does the surname Melican mean?

The surname Melican is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "O Maolagain". The prefix "O" means "descendant of", while "Maol" denotes "bald" or "tonsure", often used to refer to devotees or disciples in the early Christian period in Ireland. The suffix "again" is thought to relate to "youth". Therefore, this surname could possibly mean "descendant of the bald or tonsured youth". It's believed to refer to religious devotees or people associated with church clergy. The surname has gone through anglicization over the centuries, resulting in variations such as Millican, Mulligan, and Milligan. Given that surnames often denoted occupation, status or geographical location in old times, it should be recognized that exact translations may vary and can be open to interpretations.

Melican: Where does the name Melican come from?

The surname Melican is of Irish origin, extracted from the Gaelic name "O Maolagain", where "O" denotes "descendent of", and "Maolagain" is an affectionate form of "Maol", meaning "bald". It was often used to refer to a devoted follower or servant of Saint John, the monastic orders of which typically shaved their heads. This surname is less common and is more often found in County Clare, Ireland. Nowadays, it can be found in various worldwide locations, largely due to migration. Still, it's especially prevalent in countries with a significant Irish diaspora, such as the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Variations of the surname Melican

The surname Melican has an Irish origin, it's an anglicized form of the Gaelic name "O Meilicin", which possibly derived from "meilgeach", meaning 'milk-like'. It could also be of Celtic origin from a tribe known as the Menapii or Menapia.

Several variations and spelling forms of the name Melican exist, including Melikan, Mellikan, Mellickan, Mellikan, Malican, Mellcan, Melliken, Melican, Mellichan, Mellican, Mellighan, and Milligan.

There are also related or similarly pronounced Irish surnames such as Mulligan and Milliken. Surnames like Millican or Milligan, while being of Scottish origin, also sound similar and could sometimes be confused for variants of Melican.

Despite these different variations and spelling forms, the surname Melican remains relatively unique and is not very commonly encountered. Still, it's crucial to consider all these possibilities, given the frequent misspellings and alterations of surnames due to language changes and transcription errors throughout history.

Notably, names exactly alike or similar to Melican could exist outside of Ireland, formed independently due to similarly pronounced words or names within other languages or cultures.

Famous people with the name Melican

• Dean Melican: American film director and producer
• Bob Melican: Canadian ice hockey player
• Kevin Melican: American professional soccer player
• John Melican: Irish actor
• Benny Melican: American Jazz saxophonist
• Colm Melican: Irish classical composer
• Martin Melican: British director and producer
• Mary Melican: American poet
• Gwyneth Melican: American film actress
• Terry Melican: Welsh actor

Other surnames

MelichMelicharMelicharekMelichercikMelichercikovaMelick