Eógan (given name)

For people of this name, see Eógan.

Éogan or Eógan is an early Irish male name, which also has the hypocoristic and diminutive form Eóganán and Eóghainin. In more modern forms of Irish it is written as Eóghan or Eoghan. The name is often associated with the Greek name Eugenes, meaning noble born.[1] Etymologyist disagree as to the origin of Eoghan, with Dr. Rachel Bromwich commenting[2] that Eoghan is a derivation of the Latin Eugenius,[3] and the encyclopedia Surnames of the United Kingdom citing T. Ua Concheanainn, Mion - Chomhrádh (p. 126), that Eóghan equates to Owain and Eugene.[1] However, the encyclopedia Irish Names (1981, 1990) dispute any connection with Eugene and derive the name from Old Irish: Eógan meaning "born of the yew".[4][3]

The name "corresponds" to the Welsh Owen.[3][1]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912), reprinted for Clearfield Company, INC by Genealogical Publishing Co. INC, Baltimore 1995, 1996 Surnames of the United Kingdom notes that the most likely and widely accepted origin of Owen (Old Welsh Owain, Irish Gaelic Eoghan, and Scottish Gaelic Eoghann,) is from Latin Eugenius. “Cormic gives this origin for Eogan (one MS, Eogen); and Zimmer considers Owen to be borrowed from Latin Eugens, as noted by MacBain, p. 400. The mediaeval Latinization of Owen as Oenus led to a belief that the etymology was the Welsh and Breton oen ‘lamb’. With much stronger reason it was at one tme considered that the name represented Irish eoghunn = Gael. Ogan- [f.Old Irish oc- Welsh og, young], ‘youth’.Surnames of the United Kingdom cite T. Ua Concheanainn, Mion - Chomhrádh (p. 126), that "Eóghan is a dimunitive of Eóghainin, = Owain, Eugene"
  2. ^ As cited by T.J. Morgan in Welsh Surnames, page 172
  3. ^ a b c Morgan, T.J. and Morgan, Prys, Welsh Surnames, University of Wales, 1985, Owain (Owen, Bowen, Ednowain). According to T.J. Morgan in Welsh Surnames (page 172/173) Owen is a derivation of the Latin Eugenis “ > [Old Welsh] Ou(u)ein, Eug(u)ein … 'variously written in [Middle Welsh] as Ewein, Owein, Ywein. LL gives the names Euguen, Iguein, Yuein, Ouein. The corresponding form in Irish is Eoghan.” Morgan notes that there are less likely alternative explanations and agrees with Dr. Rachel Bromwich that Welsh Owein “is normally latinized as Eugenius," and both the Welsh and Irish forms are Latin derivatives. Additionally, another latinized variation of the name Owen is Audoenus in certain parish registers
  4. ^ Ó Corráin, Donnchadh agus Maguire, Fidelma. Irish Names (1981, 1990). 87-88.