McGowan

This article is about the surname in general. For the family of UK nobility, see McGowan family.

McGowan is a surname. It is an Anglicization of the Irish and Scottish surname Mac Gobhann.[1]

A surname of ancient Gael royals

Gaelic Ireland and its territory of the Ulaidh or Ulidia (kingdom) circa 900 A.D.

McGowan is a surname of ancient Gael royals of Ulster. The McGowan were of Ireland's Uí Echach Cobo tribe. The MacGowan produced several of the over-kings of the Ulaidh and their last patrimony, which was the Kingdom of Ulidia. Circa late 12th century A.D., English armies expelled the MacGowan from the area of Ulidia or what is today the southeastern part of Northern Ireland, or in modern media usage Ulster, and into the area of what is today the modern Republic of Ireland's Donegal.[2] The area of modern Donegal was then comprised within the last standing Gaelic sovereignty and stronghold of Tirconnell kingdom, which was ruled by the O'Donnell dynasty which was part of the kingdom of the Ui Neill, a tribe of the Connaughta.

Meaning

As noted further in source by John O'Hart, though not an occupational surname, MacGowan evolves as an Anglicization of the original Gaelic language personal description or nickname "gobha", meaning in English language "blacksmith". For this reason, the surnames of some septs of the MacGowan are alternately anglicised to Smythe (surname) or Smith. Mac, which may appear in anglicised contraction as Mc, sometimes written Mc or, further, abbreviated M', means in English "son",[3] but, when an element used to form a Gaelic language patronymic in its usage of "They have no share in the promise made to the sons of Adam“,[4] that is "descended" of a thereafter personal named or nicknamed (sometimes by description as in Gaelic language Duinneshliebhe, anglicised Donlevy, "brown haired chief of the mountain fort", Gaelic language gobha "the smithy", anglicised Gowan, or the Gaelic language Ultaigh, anglicised Nulty, "the Ulidian") founding ancestor or sire of a Gaelic clan.[5] The surname Mac Gowan, therefore, translates from Gaelic language to English language as "descended of the smith".

Notable people

USS McGowan (DD-678), the namesake of Rear Admiral Samuel McGowan USN
Rear Admiral Samuel McGowan USN

MacGowan:

Gowan:

In U.S. naval history

Ships of the name

Flag officers

Rear Admiral Samuel McGowan USN

Naval heroes

In U.S. Army history

General officers

Army heroes

See also

References

  1. ↑ Dictionary of American Family Names P. Hanks ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press (2003) Vol. 2 G-N p 554 ISBN 0-19-508137-4 (set)
  2. ↑ John O'Hart, Irish Pedigrees; or, The Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation, 5th edition, in two volumes, originally published in Dublin in 1892, reprinted, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976, Vol. 1, pp 311–312, 819–820 and 872, for described general historical context for Ulaidh, see, also, The Encyclopedia of Ireland, B. Lalor and F. McCourt editors, © 2003 New Haven: Yale University Press, p. 1089 ISBN 0-300-09442-6
  3. ↑ 4th MacEachen's Gaelic-English Dictionary, Inverness, The Northern Counties Newspaper and Printing and Publishing Company, Limited, 1922, p. 280
  4. ↑ Oxford English Dictionary, in 2 volumes, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1971, 26th printing July, 1987, Volume 2 (P-Z), p. 2918 at "son"
  5. ↑ The World Book Dictionary, in 2 volumes, Volume 2 (L-Z), Chicago, World Book, Inc., 2005, ISBN 978-0-7166-0201-9 (set), ISBN 0-7166-0201-6 (set), p. 1528 "patronymic … a name derived from name of paternal ancestor, especially by addition of a prefix … (usage example) MacDonald meaning 'descendant of Donald' …”, Mac in this context is used to claim a national, clan or dynastic membership.
  6. ↑ http://projects.militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/search.php?medal=&service=&conflict=&term=McGowan&page=1
  7. ↑
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