Gahan
| 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 is a surname with several different origins. The most common origin of the name comes from "Ó Gaoithín" meaning "descendant of Gaoithín" a Leinster family who were formerly chiefs of Síol Éalaigh and today are most commonly found in County Carlow and County Wexford. In Connacht, Ó Gaoithin is sometimes Anglicised as Wynne or Wyndham.[1][2] Another 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". 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.[3]
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
- ^ "Ó Gaoithín". Library Ireland.
- ^ "GAHAN Surname Maps of Ireland". Barry Griffin. Barry Griffin. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ "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".