Morgan (given name)
Encyclopedia
Morgan, or Morgen, is a given name related to the modern Irish
word móraigeanta, meaning magnanimous
. One source gives the meaning of the feminine name as "great queen" and relates the name to the Morrígan
, a goddess of war. It can be straightforwardly interpreted as "great queen" (Old Irish
mór, great; rígan, queen, deriving from a hypothetical Proto-Celtic
*Māra Rīganī-s. However it often lacks the diacritic
over the o in the texts. Alternatively, mor (without diacritic) may derive from an Indo-European
root connoting terror or monstrousness, cognate
with the Old English
maere (which survives in the modern English word "nightmare") and the Scandinavian mara
. This can be reconstructed in Proto-Celtic as *Moro-rīganī-s. Current scholarship mostly holds to Morrígan, often translated as "Phantom Queen" being the older, more accurate form.
In Wales
, Morgan is traditionally a male name. In the United States
it is currently more commonly used for girls, though it has more recently started to became used more for boys than girls. It was the 43rd most popular name for girls born in the United States in 2007 and the 405th most popular name for boys born there in 2007. The name is also used for both sexes in other English-speaking countries, including Canada
, England
, Scotland
, Ireland
, Northern Ireland
, Wales
, Australia
, and New Zealand
.. It is also frequently used in the Celtic region of Brittany
in France
where it is traditionally a male name.
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
word móraigeanta, meaning magnanimous
Magnanimity
Magnanimity is the virtue of being great of mind and heart. It encompasses, usually, a refusal to be petty, a willingness to face danger, and actions for noble purposes. Its antithesis is pusillanimity...
. One source gives the meaning of the feminine name as "great queen" and relates the name to the Morrígan
Morrígan
The Morrígan or Mórrígan , also written as Morrígu or in the plural as Morrígna, and spelt Morríghan or Mór-Ríoghain in Modern Irish, is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have once been a goddess, although she is not explicitly referred to as such in the texts.The Morrigan is a goddess...
, a goddess of war. It can be straightforwardly interpreted as "great queen" (Old Irish
Old Irish language
Old Irish is the name given to the oldest form of the Goidelic languages for which extensive written texts are extant. It was used from the 6th to the 10th centuries, by which time it had developed into Middle Irish....
mór, great; rígan, queen, deriving from a hypothetical Proto-Celtic
Proto-Celtic language
The Proto-Celtic language, also called Common Celtic, is the reconstructed ancestor language of all the known Celtic languages. Its lexis can be confidently reconstructed on the basis of the comparative method of historical linguistics...
*Māra Rīganī-s. However it often lacks the diacritic
Diacritic
A diacritic is a glyph added to a letter, or basic glyph. The term derives from the Greek διακριτικός . Diacritic is both an adjective and a noun, whereas diacritical is only an adjective. Some diacritical marks, such as the acute and grave are often called accents...
over the o in the texts. Alternatively, mor (without diacritic) may derive from an Indo-European
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
root connoting terror or monstrousness, cognate
Cognate
In linguistics, cognates are words that have a common etymological origin. This learned term derives from the Latin cognatus . Cognates within the same language are called doublets. Strictly speaking, loanwords from another language are usually not meant by the term, e.g...
with the Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
maere (which survives in the modern English word "nightmare") and the Scandinavian mara
Mara (folklore)
A mare or nightmare is a spirit or goblin in Germanic folklore which rides on people's chests while they sleep, bringing on bad dreams . The mare is attested as early as in the Norse Ynglinga saga from the 13th century, but the belief itself is likely to be considerably older...
. This can be reconstructed in Proto-Celtic as *Moro-rīganī-s. Current scholarship mostly holds to Morrígan, often translated as "Phantom Queen" being the older, more accurate form.
In Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Morgan is traditionally a male name. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
it is currently more commonly used for girls, though it has more recently started to became used more for boys than girls. It was the 43rd most popular name for girls born in the United States in 2007 and the 405th most popular name for boys born there in 2007. The name is also used for both sexes in other English-speaking countries, including Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.. It is also frequently used in the Celtic region of Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
where it is traditionally a male name.
People
- King Morcant BulcMorcant BulcMorcant Bulc was a Brythonic prince, probably a king, from Northern Britain, during the period between the end of the Roman Empire and the establishment of an English state during the early Middle Ages....
- Morgan BrittanyMorgan BrittanyMorgan Brittany is an American film and television actress. She is possibly best known for her role in the 1980s primetime soap opera Dallas, where she portrayed Katherine Wentworth, the scheming younger half-sister of Pamela Ewing and Cliff Barnes.-Early career:Under her birth name, Brittany...
- Morgan FairchildMorgan FairchildMorgan Fairchild is an American actress. She achieved prominence during the late 1970s and early 1980s with continuing roles in several television series, in which she usually conveyed a glamorous image. Fairchild has also performed in live theater and played guest roles in television comedies...
- Morgan (bishop)Morgan (bishop)Morgan was a medieval Bishop of Durham elect.Morgan was an illegitimate son of King Henry II of England and Nesta, daughter of Iorwerth ab Owain, Lord of Caerleon. Nesta was married to Sir Ralph Bloet, who raised Morgan as his son...
- Morgan le FayMorgan le FayMorgan le Fay , alternatively known as Morgane, Morgaine, Morgana and other variants, is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician...
- Morgan NichollsMorgan NichollsMorgan Nicholls is an English musician, member of Senseless Things and best known for performing with Gorillaz, The Streets, Muse and most recently Lily Allen. He released one solo album under the name Morgan.-Career:...
, aka Morgan - Morgan Philips PriceMorgan Philips PriceMorgan Philips Price was a British politician and a Labour Party Member of Parliament .He was born in The Grove, Taynton, near Gloucester. His father, William Edwin Price, was also a British MP, serving for the seat of Tewkesbury. M. Philips Price was schooled at Harrow and Trinity College,...
- Morgan PhillipsMorgan PhillipsMorgan Walter Phillips was a colliery worker and trade union activist who became the General Secretary of the British Labour Party, involved in two of the party's election victories....
- Morgan FreemanMorgan FreemanMorgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
- Morgan TsvangiraiMorgan TsvangiraiMorgan Richard Tsvangirai is the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. He is the President of the Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai and a key figure in the opposition to President Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe on 11 February 2009...
- Morgan JonesMorgan JonesMorgan Jones may refer to:* Morgan Jones , Welsh television presenter* Morgan Jones , Labour Member of Parliament for Caerphilly 1921–1939...
- Morgan EarpMorgan EarpMorgan Seth Earp was the younger brother of Deputy U.S. Marshals Virgil and Wyatt Earp. Morgan was a deputy of Virgil's and all three men were the target of repeated death threats made by outlaw Cowboys who were upset by the Earps' interference in their illegal activities. This conflict eventually...
- Morgan WebbMorgan WebbMorgan Ailis Webb is a co-host and senior segment producer of the G4 show X-Play, and host of the show G4 Underground...
- Morgan (singer)Morgan (singer)Marco Castoldi better known by his stage name Morgan is an Italian singer, musician and multi-instrumentalist...
, Italian (real name Marco Castoldi)