Thursday, July 22, 2010

Is Owen (my name) a Welsh, Irish or English name?

i'm confused - i've heard of so many contradictorary views.

Is Owen (my name) a Welsh, Irish or English name?
It's welsh.





Don't know if you watched x-factor , but there was an irish boy there who's name was pronounced like "owen" but was spelt eoghan.





So yea , welsh. Welsh speaking people will pronounce it "oh - when" where as english people will pronounce it "oh - win".
Reply:"The name Owen is of Welsh/Irish origin. From the Welsh Eugein or Ougein, it's a variant of the Greek Eugenius (Eugene), which means "well born." The spelling Owen is a modernization of Owain.





An additional interpretation is that Owen is an Anglicization of Eoghann, a traditional Gaelic name meaning "born of yew." In Irish, the same name was spelled Eoghan.





The names Eugene and Owen thus share a history. Medieval texts often Latinize the word as Eugenius, and by 1178, the form Eugene appeared in Scotland.


Owain Glendower (c. 1359 - c. 1416) fought for Welsh independence from England, but his efforts did not succeed in the end. He was the last native-born Prince of Wales. His legacy remained in popular culture: Shakespeare fictionalized him in his play Henry IV, and a 19th century revival of Welsh nationalism portrayed him as a hero. "


from http://wiki.name.com/en/Owen





Personal Note: I am of Welsh heritage and many many of my uncles, cousins etc have Owen as both first and last names! That makes it very difficult to do genealogy! Wales is loaded with Owen Owen, especially in the Isle of Anglesey area.
Reply:Welsh. I think anyway.

pot marigold

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