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| Language(s) | Irish |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Meaning | 1. son of Eachán 2. descendant of Gaoithín 3. son of Gaoithín |
| Region of origin | Ireland |
| Other names | |
| Variant form(s) | Eachán; Gaoithín; Gahame; Mac Eacháin; Mac Gaoithín; Ó Gaoithin; McCaughan; MacGaffin; McGaffin; MacGahan; McGahan; McGeehan; Wyndham; Wynne |
Gahan (and its variant Gahame) is a surname with several different origins. One origin of the surname is from a reduced form of McGahan, which is in turn an Anglicised form of the Irish language Mac Eacháin, meaning "son of Eachán". Another origin of the name, in Leinster, is from a reduced form of the Irish language Ó Gaoithin, meaning "descendant of Gaoithín". The personal name Gaoithín is a diminutive of gaoth, meaning "wise", or "wind". In Connacht, Ó Gaoithin is sometimes Anglicised as Wynne or Wyndham. Occasionally, the surname Gahan may be an Anglicised form of the Irish language Mac Gaoithín, meaning "son of Gaoithín", although the more common Anglicised form of this Gaelic name is McGeehan in Ulster.
People with this surname include:
- Arthur Burton Gahan (1880–1960), American entomologist
- Charles Joseph Gahan (1862–1939), Irish entomologist
- Dave Gahan (born 1962) (not his birth name), British singer
- George Thomas Gahan (1912–1980), Australian politician and boxer
- Gordon Gahan (1945–1984), American photographer
- Graeme Gahan (1942–2018), Australian rules footballer
- John Harvey Gahan (1888–1958), Canadian violinist
- Matthew Gahan (born 1975), Australian baseball player
- Thomas Gahan (1847–1905), American politician
- Tracy Gahan (born 1980), Australian basketball player
- William Gahan (1732–1804), Irish priest
and at least one having it as a given name:
- Gahan Wilson (1930–2019), American horror–fantasy cartoonist and illustrator
References
- "Learn about the family history of your surname". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 21 February 2010. which cited Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-508137-4. for the surname "Gahan".
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