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Irish surname

Vaughan: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Uachan (Welsh); in Munster, an anglicised form of the Irish Ó Mocháin · Welsh 'vychan', i.e. little, small of stature; or (Ó Mocháin) 'descendant of Mochán', a 'pet' form of a name beginning moch- (early)

Woulfe (1923) gives Vaughan under two different headwords. First Uachan, from Welsh 'vychan,' i.e. little, small of stature, 'the name of a Welsh family, some of whom settled, prior to the 16th century, in Dublin, Wexford, and perhaps other parts of Leinster'; he adds that 'the great majority of our Vaughans are, however, of native origin'. Second Ó Mocháin, 'descendant of Mochán', of which he writes 'In Munster, it is generally anglicised Vaughan.' In 1890, 35 Vaughan birth entries were recorded in Ireland, principally in Cork, Clare, Limerick, Antrim and Down.

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Coat of arms associated with the Vaughan surname
Irish formUachan (Welsh); in Munster, an anglicised form of the Irish Ó Mocháin
MeaningWelsh 'vychan', i.e. little, small of stature; or (Ó Mocháin) 'descendant of Mochán', a 'pet' form of a name beginning moch- (early)
CountiesDublin, Wexford, Cork, Clare
Other spellings3
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Vaughan crest gifts

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Origin of the Vaughan name

Woulfe gives Vaughan under two headwords: Uachan, Welsh 'vychan' (little), 'the name of a Welsh family, some of whom settled, prior to the 16th century, in Dublin, Wexford, and perhaps other parts of Leinster', though 'the great majority of our Vaughans are, however, of native origin'; and Ó Mocháin, the name '(1) of a family of Cinel Ianna, in the diocese of Kilmacduagh, who are still numerous in Co. Galway, where they generally anglicise the name Mahon; and (2) of an ecclesiastical family—a branch of the Ui Fiachrach—in Co. Sligo'. Of Ó Mocháin he adds: 'In Munster, it is generally anglicised Vaughan.'[1][2]

  1. prior to the 16th centuryWoulfe: some of the Welsh Uachan family settle in Dublin and Wexford.[1]
  2. 189035 Vaughan birth entries in Ireland, principally Cork, Clare, Limerick, Antrim and Down.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. DublinWoulfe: the Welsh Uachan family, 'some of whom settled, prior to the 16th century, in Dublin, Wexford, and perhaps other parts of Leinster'.[1]
Co. WexfordWoulfe names Wexford among the places where 'some' of the Welsh Uachan family settled 'prior to the 16th century'.[1]
Co. CorkFirst county Matheson names for Vaughan births in 1890.[3]
Co. ClareNamed by Matheson among the counties where Vaughan births were principally found in 1890.[3]
Co. LimerickNamed by Matheson among the counties where Vaughan births were principally found in 1890.[3]
Co. AntrimNamed by Matheson among the counties where Vaughan births were principally found in 1890.[3]
Co. DownNamed by Matheson among the counties where Vaughan births were principally found in 1890.[3]

Other spellings

Vachan · Vaghan · Voghane[1]

The Vaughan coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Vaughan surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Vaughan surname: questions

Is Vaughan an Irish or a Welsh surname?

Both, according to Woulfe. He gives Uachan, from Welsh 'vychan' (little, small of stature), as 'the name of a Welsh family, some of whom settled, prior to the 16th century, in Dublin, Wexford, and perhaps other parts of Leinster', but adds that 'the great majority of our Vaughans are, however, of native origin'. Of the Irish surname Ó Mocháin he writes: 'In Munster, it is generally anglicised Vaughan.'[1][2]

What does the surname Vaughan mean?

It depends on the origin. As the Welsh Uachan, it comes from Welsh 'vychan', 'little, small of stature'. As the Irish Ó Mocháin, it means 'descendant of Mochán', a pet form of a name beginning moch-, 'early'.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Vaughan name from?

Woulfe places 'some' of the Welsh Uachan family in Dublin, Wexford 'and perhaps other parts of Leinster' prior to the 16th century, and says of Ó Mocháin that 'In Munster, it is generally anglicised Vaughan.' In 1890, Vaughan births were principally found in Cork, Clare, Limerick, Antrim and Down.[1][2][3]

Is Vaughan the same name as Mahon or Maughan?

Woulfe prints Mahon, Maughan and Vaughan together in the list of anglicised forms for one Irish surname, Ó Mocháin. Of its Galway family he says they 'generally anglicise the name Mahon', while 'In Munster, it is generally anglicised Vaughan' — different anglicisations of the same Irish surname in different places, as he prints them.[2]

Sources

  1. Uachan — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/u/uachan.php
  2. Ó Mocháin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/om/o-mochain.php
  3. Vaughan — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/vaughan.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).