Surname Mac Egan - Meaning and Origin
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Mac Egan: What does the surname Mac Egan mean?
The last name Mac Egan is an Irish surname derived from the Irish Gaelic“MacAodhagáin”. The Mac Egan surname is an Anglicized version of the name, meaning “son of Aodhagán”.
Aodhagán is a Gaelic term originally derived from the Old Irish personal name Áedacan, which in turn is the diminutive of Áed, meaning ‘fire’. Over time, the name evolved to various forms, including Mac Aodhagáin, Mac Aodha, Mac Aodh, and Mac Egan. It is believed this surname originated from the Uí Maine kingdom in Galway, later spreading throughout Ireland but remaining more concentrated in the western provinces.
The Mac Egan family is believed to have been part of a much larger clan, the O'Heyne, which had significant dynasties. In the 12th century, ancestral members of the Mac Egan family are reported to have been erenaghs of Tuam and all of Galway. This was an important role in ancient Irish society, as the erenaghs were responsible for overseeing the maintenance of churches and graveyard of the area.
The MacEgan surname also served as personal identifiers for certain members of the O’Heyne clan. These members united and formed a strong tribal alliance. In the 16th century, two high-ranking members of the MacEgan clan were Hugh and John MacAodhagáin. They played a prominent role within the rebel army against English forces, and both were slain in the Battle of Corcomroe in 1580.
The Mac Egan surname is still present in Ireland today, and is believed to be one of the oldest surnames in Ireland. Since the 12th century, the Mac Egans have been an influential part of Irish culture.
Order DNA origin analysisMac Egan: Where does the name Mac Egan come from?
Today, the last name Mac Egan is most commonly associated with the Irish county of Mayo. It is frequently used as a surname among Irish communities both in Ireland and around the world. The name Mac Egan is derived from the Old Irish name Mac Aodhagáin, which translates to ‘son of Aodhagáin’, a personal name that immediately became popular in the region with the rise of Christianity in Ireland during the fifth century.
In its early stages, the Mac Egan name became heavily associated with the kingdom of Uí Fhaoláin, which was located in the region of North Mayo and South Galway. The name was spread far and wide as Norman settlers moved across the Irish countryside in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
From there, the Mac Egan name traveled to Cork city, County Cork, Galway city, and Leitrim County. Presently, the name is still highly concentrated in Mayo and Galway, as well as Cork county, and is also found in large concentrations in Dublin.
The Mac Eggans are believed to be connected to the Egans from Galway and Mayo, as well as the O'Heynes, Heynes, and Haynes from Mayo. Due to the shared phonology and spelling of all these surnames, they are often confidently considered to have the same ancestry.
Variations of the surname Mac Egan
The surname Mac Egan is an Irish surname of Gaelic origin, stemming from the Gaelic words ‘Mac’ meaning ‘son’ and ‘Egan’ meaning ‘little fire’. As such, the most common variants and spellings of the surname Mac Egan are MacEgan, McEgan, MacKegan, and McKegans. Various regional phonetic spellings of McEgan may also be found in Irish records such as ‘M’Egan, ‘MackEgan,’ or ‘MacKeegan’. Further variant spellings of the surname Mac Egan include Maegan, Meggan, and Macygan.
The numerous surnames that can be associated with the surname Mac Egan include MacKenty, MacGegan, Maggyan, Eagan, Eakins, McKeown, McKernan, Magrane, and Keogan. These surnames all stem from the older Gaelic spelling of MacEgan.
The variations and associated surnames of Mac Egan can be largely attributed to the historical practice of Anglicization common among the Irish people. The Anglicisation of the Irish language was particularly common throughout the 19th century and lead to the numerous regional dialects and spellings of the same name. It is likely, given this practice, that the numerous variants and surnames for Mac Egan are in fact derived from the same origin.
Famous people with the name Mac Egan
- Julia MacEgan: a Canadian television reporter.
- Seán MacEgan: an Irish politician, journalist and public works promoter.
- Ciarán MacEgan: an Irish Gaelic football player.
- James MacEgan: an Irish sculptor and stained glass artist.
- Noel MacEgan: an Irish hurling player.
- Oran MacEgan: an Irish actor.
- Joe MacEgan: an Irish Gaelic footballer.
- Daniel MacEgan: an Irish-American painter.
- Mike MacEgan: an Irish hurler.
- Ciara MacEgan: an Irish actress.
- Maureen MacEgan: an Irish-Canadian actress.
- Stephen MacEgan: an Irish soccer player.
- David MacEgan: an Irish soccer player.
- Caroline MacEgan: an Irish actress and singer.
- Conal MacEgan: an Irish rugby union player.