Surname MacEven - Meaning and Origin
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MacEven: What does the surname MacEven mean?
The last name MacEven is a Scottish surname of Gaelic origin. The name translates to “son of Ewen”, which is a masculine given name, derived from the name Eoghan. This was a popular name amongst Celtic people in Ireland and Scotland and is still used in the modern day.
The MacEven surname encompasses various spellings and ancestral history which makes it difficult to trace back to its earliest origins. It is thought to be an Anglicized version of the Gaelic “MacEoghainn,” which was brought to the British Isles by the Normans in the 13th century during their invasion and subsequent occupation.
During the Middle Ages, the MacEven family lived in the lowlands of Scotland and Northern England. As commoners, they were supported by the local lords and noble families, and were known to have given their allegiances to powerful clans both inside and outside of the British Isles.
The MacEven surname was common throughout Scotland and Ireland until the present day. As time passed, many of their members have migrated to different parts of the world, establishing a presence in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and the Caribbean.
Today, the MacEven surname stands for resilience, freedom, and strength. Those that carry the name remain proud of their ancestral ties to Scotland and Ireland and are eager to share the incredibleistic story that’s part of their history.
Order DNA origin analysisMacEven: Where does the name MacEven come from?
The last name MacEven is most commonly found in Scotland, especially in the Highlands of Scotland. It is a popular surname, particularly in the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Orkney and Shetland Islands, and the Borders region. Additionally, the surname is found in some parts of Ireland.
The surname is derived from the Gaelic MacEoghain, which means "son of Eoghain". This is the anglicized version of the Irish name MacEoghan. The name Eoghan is derived from the Gaelic personal name Eogan.
Today, there are an estimated 10,000 people with the surname MacEven living in Scotland. This is a decrease from 1914 when the surname appeared on 27,000 birth registrations throughout the country. The surname is also seen in England, with approximately 2,000 individuals living in the United Kingdom with the surname.
Outside of the British Isles, the surname can also be found in countries throughout the world. Specifically, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America are countries where the surname has been found, indicating historic patterns of emigration from the British Isles.
Variations of the surname MacEven
MacEvan (MacEwen/MacEwin/MacEwenne/MacEwinn) is a Scottish surname of Gaelic origin. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Eòghain, meaning "son of Eóghan". Variants of this name include MacEeven, MacEwen, MacEwan and MacEwin.
The MacEvans of Scotland originally occupied lands in the Cowal peninsula in Argyllshire on the west coast of Scotland. It is believed that this ancient clan descended from Eoghan (Owen), the fifth century King of Scots. The surname is also known to be from the Manx variant of MacEwen. MacEwen/MacEwin was the oldest of the three branches of the Manx clan of the MacEwens.
Anglicized versions of the surname include McEwen, McEvin, McEvan and McEvane. The root of the surname can be found within several historical spellings such as MacEoghin/MacKeoghin, MacEghin/MacEghyn, MacEwyn/MacEwynne, McEvin/McEvan/McEvane and McEven/McEvin/McEvane.
The names MacEwen, MacEwin and MacEwenne are interwoven, all being derived from the same root. The variants of MacEwen/MacEwin and MacEwenne generally allude to the other group of MacEvens found in the northern part of Scotland. Other spellings of the surname may be MaEvin, MaEwan and MaEwen. In some cases, the name has been altered to the Anglicized spellings McEvaine, McEvanye, McEvina, McEvanny and McEvany.
The surname is currently found throughout Scotland, northern England and Ireland. It is also seen in some areas of the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Famous people with the name MacEven
- Clara MacEven:- Clara MacEven was a singer-songwriter and musician from Glasgow, Scotland. She was best known for her upbeat indie-folk tunes about love and life.
- Liam MacEven-- Liam MacEven is a Scottish actor known for his lead roles in the films Aristotle's Fall, Escape from City 17, and The Outer Raugedy.
- Fiona MacEven-- Fiona MacEven is a Scottish-born singer-songwriter, whose work focus on the themes of courage, resilience, and hope. Her music has been widely featured in television and films.
- Tristan MacEven-- Tristan MacEven is a Scottish multi-instrumentalist and composer, known for his work on various film and television soundtracks. He has also released several solo albums and collaborated with various artists.
- Maxwell MacEven-- Maxwell MacEven was a renowned Scottish painter and sculptor, known for his expressionistic portraits. His works have been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums, and his legacy lives on in the form of artworks in many private collections.
- Eliza MacEven-- Eliza MacEven is a Scottish historian and author, known for her works on Scottish history and culture. Her books explore the role of the Scottish people in the shaping of modern Scotland.
- Ross MacEven-- Ross MacEven is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from Glasgow. He is known for combining traditional Scottish folk music with modern elements, creating a unique sound that has seen him perform on festival stages around the world.
- Cameron MacEven-- Cameron MacEven was a Scottish folk and bluegrass musician, renowned for his interpretive guitar work. He released several albums, and was active in the Scottish folk scene until his passing in 2013.