Morgan is a name of Welsh and Breton origin. Traditionally, it is a masculine-coded name in Wales and Brittany, but has been decoupled from its traditional gender outside of its regions of origin. It spread in popularity outside of Welsh and Breton communities during the past century, including in France, and in English-speaking countries worldwide. Morgan is also used as a surname, derived from the given name.
 | |
| Gender | Unisex |
|---|---|
| Language(s) | Welsh / Breton |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | Sea chief or famous magic (male) Sea-born or Magic Enchantress (female) |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Morcant, Morgain, Morgaine, Morgana, Morgane, Morganna, Morgant, Morgen, Morghan, Morgue |
The name is a descendant of Old Welsh Morcant, possibly derived from môr (meaning "sea") and "cant" (the circle) or "gen" (come / origin) with the meaning: "sea chief", "sea protector", "sea defender" or "sailor/captain".[1] Contemporaneous records of the first Mormaer, or count de Mar, spelt his name Morggán, Earl of Mar.
The use of the name for women may be inspired by the character Morgan le Fay from Arthurian legend. For the etymology of Morgan le Fay, see Morgan le Fay § Etymology and origins.
In the United States it is commonly used for any gender, although it has become a more popular name for women than men since the 1990s. The name is also used for any gender in other English-speaking countries, including Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.[2] The French feminine version of the name is Morgane.
Notable people
editFemale
edit- Morgan Andrews (born 1995), American soccer player
- Morgan Brittany (born 1951), American actress
- Morgan Fairchild (born 1950), American actress
- Morgan Featherstone (born 1994), Australian fashion model
- Morgan Gautrat (born 1993), American soccer player
- Morgan Hurd (born 2001), American gymnast
- Morgan James (born 1981), American musician
- Morgan Joanel, Australian pop singer-songwriter and visual artist
- Morgan Pressel (born 1988), American professional golfer
- Morgan Romano (born 1998), American model and beauty queen
- Morgan Tuck (born 1994), American basketball player
- Morgan Webb (born 1978), American television presenter and producer
- Morgan White (born 1983), American gymnast
- Morgan William (born 1996), American basketball player
Male
edit- Morgan (bishop), Bishop-elect of Durham in 1215 and illegitimate son of King Henry II of England
- Morgan Bulkely (1837–1922), American politician
- Morgan De Sanctis (born 1977), Italian soccer player
- Morgan Earp (1851–1882), American lawman, brother of Wyatt Earp
- Morgan Ensberg (born 1975), American baseball player
- Morgan M. Finley (1925–2016), American politician and businessman
- Morgan Fisher (born 1950), British musician and photographer
- Morgan Freeman (born 1937), American actor, director, and narrator
- Morgan Green (born 1987), American footballer
- Morgan Grim (born 1988), American basketball player
- Morgan Hamm (born 1982), American gymnast
- Morgan Johansson (born 1970), Swedish politician
- Morgan Jones (disambiguation), several people
- Morgan Luttrell (born 1975), American politician
- Morgan Nicholls (born 1971), English musician
- Morgan Philips Price (1885–1973), British politician
- Morgan Phillips (1902–1963), General Secretary of the British Labour Party
- Morgan Rielly (born 1994), Canadian ice hockey player
- Morgan Sanson (born 1994), French soccer player
- Morgan Schneiderlin (born 1989), French soccer player
- Morgan Spurlock (1970–2024), American filmmaker, screenwriter and producer
- Morgan Stevens (1951–2022), American actor
- Morgan Tsvangirai (1952–2018), prime minister of Zimbabwe
- Morgan Wallen (born 1993), American country pop musician
- Morgan Ward (1901–1963), American mathematician
- Morgan Wootten (1931–2020), American basketball coach
Fictional characters
edit- Morgan le Fay, a powerful enchantress in the Arthurian legend
- Morgan Jones, a character in The Walking Dead franchise
- Morgan the Midnight Fairy, a character in the book series Rainbow Magic
- Morgan Stark, a character in ‘‘Avengers Endgame’’ from the Marvel franchise
References
edit- ^ "Morgan". Surname Database. Retrieved 2014-03-01.
- ^ Cambell, Mike. "Morgan (1)". Behind the Name. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.