Surname Langan - Meaning and Origin
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Langan: What does the surname Langan mean?
The last name Langan is an anglicized version of the Irish surname 'O'Langain', which originated from an ancient Irish clan of the same name who were located in County Kerry, Ireland. This surname is derived from the Old Gaelic "O'Lonagain", meaning "descendant of Lonagain". Lonagain was the name of a chieftain/king who reigned over the district in the ancient era.
The surname Langan can be found throughout clans in the Munster Province in Ireland and other parts of the British Isles. Over time, the surnames grew from O'Langan and were changed to Langan, Langer, and Langle in their respective countries.
As surnames became increasingly popular and more common throughout the world, this name and its variations have spread from the British Isles to North America, Australia, and New Zealand. It is used as both a surname and a given name, with the meaning of the name indicating "strong fighter". With its strong Irish roots as a clan name, the surname of Langan has become globally renowned.
Order DNA origin analysisLangan: Where does the name Langan come from?
The Langan surname is fairly widespread today, particularly in the United States and Ireland. In the US, the surname is most commonly found in California, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Illinois. As of the 2000 US Census, nearly 20,000 people born in the United States had the surname Langan.
In Ireland, the Langan surname is most common in County Donegal. Here, the surname is believed to originate from the old Irish surname Ó Longáin, which means “descendant of the long one.” Many people who immigrated from Ireland to the US in the 18th and 19th centuries came with this surname, and their descendants still bear the name to this day.
The Langan name can also be found in England, Scotland, Wales, New Zealand, Canada, and other countries worldwide. It is even more common in some of the former British colonies like Australia and India. In England, the surname is particularly found in Cheshire and Lancashire and is believed to originate from the Old English name Langen, which was derived from the old Norse name ‘Langr.’
Overall, the Langan surname is quite common and can be found in many parts of the world. It is particularly noticeable in the United States and Ireland.
Variations of the surname Langan
The surname Langan is of Irish origin. The most common variants of this name are O’Langen, Langen, Langer, and Longean. These spellings would have come about due to the occasional misspelling of the name and the mixture of dialects in different regions of Ireland.
The O’ prefix, which is a common Irish naming tradition, is a patronymic signifying descendancy from a common ancestor; “Langan” is thought to be derived from “Lángan”, which means “beacon” in Irish. As a result, there are many variations of the name that pay tribute to the original Irish version.
Langen, Langer, and Longean are all German variants of the original Irish name. The -en suffix is common in German names, as is the -er and -oan ending.
The anglicized version of the name is Langan and is also sometimes spelled as Langean. The spelling with two G’s is thought to be an anglicized version of the Gaelic language spelling, as many letters in Gaelic were changed to English during the Norman Invasion of Ireland.
The variants of Langan are a testament to the cultural heritage that is embodied within the name. While there are numerous spellings, they all stem from the original Irish version of the surname. This is why Langan remains such a popular surname in Ireland today.
Famous people with the name Langan
- Joseph Langan: American actor.
- Fintan Langan: Irish Gaelic football player.
- Chris Langan: American author and intellectual.
- Bridget Langan: Australian netball player.
- Professor Denis P. Langan: Irish particle physicist and former research professor at Dublin City University.
- Joe Langan: British World War II pilot and former prisoner of war.
- Edmond Langan: American poet and playwright.
- Jack Langan: American boxer.
- Aidan Langan: Irish playwright, puppeteer and actor.
- Desmond Langan: Irish Paralympic athlete and four-time gold medalist.
- Ryan Langan: British Paralympic swimmer and gold medalist.
- Robert Langan: British author and poet.
- Jim Langan: American radio and television sports anchor.
- Brendan Langan: Irish professional football coach.
- John Francis Langan: Irish Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.
- John J. Langan: American Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Saginaw.
- P.L. Langan: British author of contemporary thrills and mystery suspense novels.