MAUGHAN
The surname Maughan is derived from the Irish Gaelic form Mac Mathghamhna, which translates literally as son of the bear. The nickname was originally applied to individuals who possessed bear-like qualities such as strength or fierceness, and it later passed into hereditary use.
Records show that the name appears in a multiplicity of spellings, including Machan, Maun, Mawne, Meighan, Meighen, Meegen, Meugens, Mineen, Mohan, Mahan and Moan. These variations have been attested in Gaelic, English, Scottish, Welsh and even continental European registers.
Within the British Isles the surname is predominantly found in Ireland, especially in County Clare and County Monaghan, where the MacMahon and Maghan families have long been recorded. The MacMahon line of the Ulster chiefs and the Maghan branch of County Kerry both trace their ancestry to the same Gaelic origin.
Early documentary evidence dates back to the early twelfth century. In 1214 the Episcopal Register of Glasgow names David de Machan; in 1296 the writ of homage to King Edward the First includes William de Maghan of Lanarkshire. The thirteenth and fourteenth centuries record ecclesiastic figures such as Gregory O'Moghan, Archbishop of Tuam from 1372 to 1385.
If the name is of Scottish origin, it is identified with the medieval parish of Machan in Lanarkshire, a name that in Gaelic stems from machair, meaning river plain. In Wales the surname is linked to place names such as St Maughan or Machen in the former county of Monmouthshire, with early church records in Durham and London dating back to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Contemporary census figures demonstrate that the surname remains common in the United Kingdom, with over 1 800 bearers recorded in England and Wales in 2018, and smaller concentrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In the United States, the name persists notably in California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois and Pennsylvania, where the 2018 Census lists more than three thousand individuals. Canada recorded approximately two thousand Maughans in 2016, and the name is also present in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, reflecting the wider historical pattern of Irish diaspora.
Members of the Maughan line have traditionally been described as strong‑willed and tenacious, traits that echoed the bear‑symbolism of their pedigree. Their reputation for bravery, loyalty and honour has endured across the centuries and continues to be valued in both professional and communal life.
In a modern illustration of the family’s enduring presence, John Maughan of Jarrow on Tyneside reports that his grandfather, Robert Maughan, was one of the Jarrow Marchers of 1936. Robert played the mouth‑organ during the march to London and later recounted the experience on television, thereby extending the Maughan legacy into the twentieth‑century public sphere.
Typical given names associated with the Maughan surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Patrick
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Alison
- Ann
- Anna
- Anne
- Bridget
- Catherine
- Helen
- Janet
- Kathleen
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Maun
- Machan
- Moughan
- Margan
- Maghan
- Magan
- Magana
- Margans
- Margain
- Margani
- Margand
- Maugha
- Macagno
- Macan
- Macane
- Macani
- Macann
- Macanna
- Maccagni
- Maccagno
- Maccain
- Maccan
- Maccana
- Maccann
- Maccanna
- Maccoon
- Maccunn
- Macgoun
- Macgown
- Mackain
- Mackan
- Mackean
- Mackeen
- Macken
- Mackena
- Mackenie
- Mackenn
- Mackenna
- Mackennie
- Mackeon
- Mackeown
- Mackewn
- Mackian
- Mackin
- Mackine
- Mackinn
- Mackinne
- Mackion
- Mackne
- Macknee
- Mackon
- Mackown
- Mackuin
- Macnae
- Macnee
- Macnie
- Macoine
- Macon
- Macone
- Maconie
- Macoon
- Macoun
- Macquain
- Macqueen
- Macquien
- Macquin
- Macunn
- Maekin
- Magagna
- Magani
- Magann
- Maggan
- Maggane
- Maggen
- Maggin
- Maggini
- Maggioni
- Maghen
- Magon
- Magona
- Magone
- Magoni
- Magoon
- Magown
- Maguin
- Magun
- Magune
- Maican
- Makain
- Makan
- Makani
- Makein
- Maken
- Makena
- Makene
- Makenna
- Makin
- Makina
- Makino
- Makkan
- Makkena
- Makni
- Makon
- Makone
- Makoni
- Makono
- Makoon
- Maqueen
- Maquin
- Margante
- Margham
- Marugan
- Mauchan
- Maugan
- Maugham
- Maughen
- Maughfan
- Maughin
- Maughman
- Maughon
- Mawkin
- Maygone
- Maykin
- Mcan
- Mcanea
- Mcanee
- Mcann
- Mcanna
- Mccaan
- Mccain
- Mccaine
- Mccan
- Mccane
- Mccann
- Mccanna
- Mccanne
- Mccoan
- Mccohn
- Mccon
- Mccone
- Mcconn
- Mccoon
- Mccoun
- Mccown
- Mccuan
- Mccuen
- Mccuin
- Mccune
- Mccunn
- Mccunnie
- Mcgaan
- Mcgahn
- Mcgain
- Mcgan
- Mcgann
- Mcgawn
- Mcghan
- Mcghin
- Mcgone
- Mcgoon
- Mcgoona
- Mcgoun
- Mcgown
- Mcgowne
- Mcguan
- Mcguane
- Mcguin
- Mcguine
- Mcguinn
- Mcguinne
- Mcgun
- Mcgunn
- Mcguone
- Mckain
- Mckaine
- Mckane
- Mckann
- Mckanna
- Mckean
- Mckeana
- Mckeane
- Mckeean
- Mckeen
- Mckeena
- Mckeene
- Mckein
- Mcken
- Mckenn
- Mckenna
- Mckenne
- Mckennea
- Mckennie
- Mckeon
- Mckeone
- Mckeonn
- Mckeoun
- Mckeown
- Mckeowne
- Mckewn
- Mckin
- Mckine
- Mckinn
- Mckinna
- Mckinnia
- Mckinnie
- Mckno
- Mckoan
- Mckoen
- Mckone
- Mckoon
- Mckown
- Mckuin
- Mckune
- Mcnae
- Mcnea
- Mcnee
- Mcnie
- Mconie
- Mcquain
- Mcqueen
- Mcqueenie
- Mcquenie
- Mcquien
- Mcquin
- Mcquinn
- Mcquone
- Mcquown
- Meagan
- Meaghan
- Meaken
- Meakin
- Mecann
- Meckan
- Meckin
- Meconi
- Meeckan
- Meegan
- Meeghan
- Meekan
- Meeken
- Meekin
- Meekon
- Megan
- Megann
- Meghan
- Meghani
- Meghen
- Megone
- Megown
- Meighan
- Meighen
- Mekan
- Mekin
- Mekni
- Mergan
- Merghani
- Mguni
- Mican
- Mickan
- Micken
- Mickin
- Miconi
- Miekina
- Migan
- Migani
- Miggen
- Miggiani
- Miggiano
- Miggin
- Mighan
- Migon
- Migone
- Mikan
- Mirgan
- Mirghani
- Mocan
- Mocanu
- Mockin
- Mogan
- Mogano
- Moggan
- Moghan
- Mokina
- Mokoena
- Mokone
- Moogan
- Moquin
- Moraghan
- Moregan
- Morgan
- Morgane
- Morgann
- Morgans
- Morghan
- Mougan
- Moughen
- Mourgan
- Muckian
- Muckin
- Mugan
- Muggan
- Mughan
- Mukne
- Murgan
- Mycan
- Mehrgan
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Maughan in...
Braille
⠍⠁⠥⠛⠓⠁⠝
Morse
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Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Maughan are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Fox's Cream Crunch.
There are approximately 4,358 people named Maughan in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,153rd most common surname in Britain. Around 67 in a million people in Britain are named Maughan.
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Maughan
- Sharon Maughan - Actress
- Susan Maughan - Singer
- Deryck Maughan - Businessman and philanthropist
- Margaret Maughan - Paralympian
- James Maughan - (1826 to 1871)
- Amelia Maughan - Swimmer
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.