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.[1]

Gahan
Language(s)Irish
Origin
Meaning1. son of Eachán
2. descendant of Gaoithín
3. son of Gaoithín
Region of originIreland
Other names
Variant form(s)Eachán; Gaoithín; Gahame; Mac Eacháin; Mac Gaoithín; Ó Gaoithin; McCaughan; MacGaffin; McGaffin; MacGahan; McGahan; McGeehan; Wyndham; Wynne

People with this surname include:

and at least one having it as a given name:

  • Gahan Wilson (1930–2019), American horror–fantasy cartoonist and illustrator

References

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  1. ^ "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".