Morgan (given name)

Morgan or Morggan is a unisex celtic name more specifically of Welsh and Breton origin. Traditionally it was a male-only name in Wales and Brittany and altered, as like the United States, to become more commonly used as a unisex name.

Morgan

Morgan le Fay
Gender	Unisex
Language(s)	Welsh / Breton
Origin
Meaning	Sea chief or Famous magic (male)
Other names
Related names	Margan, Morgana

In the United States, it was the 152nd most popular name for girls born in 2017 and the 685th most popular name for boys born there that year. The name is also used for both sexes in other English-speaking countries, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.[1] It is also frequently used in Britain, where it is traditionally a male name. Sometimes, for girls, the name can also be spelt "Morgane" especially in France.

The male and female names may not be the same name in origin. The male 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"[2] or "born of / on the sea" or "belonging to the circle of the sea". In his original spelling of Morggan we find Morggán, Earl of Mar the first Mormaer or count de Mar.

The female version of the first name likely finds its origins with Morrígan which is derived from the Irish Mór Ríoghain and which means "great queen". In Irish myth, she was a goddess of war and death who often took the form of a crow. She is also the inspiration for the character of the fairy Morgan Le Fay in the Arthurian legend. For the etymology of the female version of the name, see here.

The spelling evolution resulting in a single form but with a different initial meaning.

The first name Morgan spreads during the Middle Ages in the Celtic countries, especially in Wales and Armorica. Several characters who marked medieval mythology have illustrated this first name, thus testifying to its great popularity in these regions. In France, it had to wait until the 1970s to go beyond the borders of Brittany and he soon became successful. It had its heyday in the 1990s and continues to be used frequently today. It is currently estimated that more than 28,600 people have been named Morgan since the turn of the 20th century. It is used as a first name celebrated on October 81 and as a patronymic.

Morgan is not only a first name, but is also commonly used as a surname.