Name of the Week: Logan

 

Origin:

Logan is Gaelic surname which comes from more than one source: Logan is a topographical surname which comes from places with the Gaelic name Logan -- most notably Logan in Ayrshire, from which the Scottish Clan Logan hail. This name derives from the Gaelic log "hollow" and the diminutive suffix -án.  Logan can be found in Ireland as an anglicised form of the surname O'Leoghain meaning "descendant  of Laochan." Laochan itself derives from the Gaelic laoch "warrior" and the diminutive suffix -án. In Scots Gaelic, the term laochan  means "boy, lad."

Usage:

The earliest record of the surname is of Robert Logan, a witness to the resignation of the lands of Ingilbristoun in 1204. Several Logans are also recorded as paying homage to Edward I of England within the Ragman Rolls of 1296.  One of the most notable bearers is Sir Robert Logan of Restalrig, a son-in-law of King Robert II of Scotland who was appointed Admiral of Scotland. Sir Robert Logan was one of the hostages given in 1424 to free James I of Scotland from being held in England.  Data from the Surname Atlas (click to enlarge) As with all surnames, Logan was adopted as a given name from the 18th century, most commonly as a way to pass on a maternal surname or to honour a godparent. Data from the 1881 census shows, quite understandably, that Logan was most common as a given name in Scotland, and especially Ayrshire and neighboring Lanarkshire where the surname was still, at that time, most frequent.  Logan was pretty uncommon as a given name in Britain, even in native Scotland, up until the 1990s, but quickly became a staple for boys. This is despite the 1976 film adaptation of William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson's 1967 novel Logan's Run, which starred Michael York and Jenny Agutter. In the US, however this did seem to have an impact: the name rose from #780 in 1976 to #592 in 1977. It continued to rise rapidly, reaching the American top 100 by 1991.  From 1974 to 1988 in Scotland, Logan was registered every year for between 1 and 3 boys putting it below the top 300. It began to rise rapidly after however, reaching the top 200 in 1993 and the top 100 in 1999. By 2008, it had reached the top 10 where it has been ever since.  Logan was first registered for Scottish girls in 1987. Up until 1999, it was registered no more than three times in any given year, but did began to rise to a peak of #302 (11 births) in 2005.  In England and Wales, Logan first entered the top 100 in 2003 and has been rising ever since.   Logan (Sc) Logan (Sc) Logan (E&W) Logan (E&W) 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 #120 #116 #101 #82 #79 #55 #46 #31 #28 #22 #14 #11 #8 #4 #4 #6 #5 #6 #5 #8 #1122 #653 #664 #621 #416 #527 #300 #356 #389 #302 #468 #633 #793 #1474 #1471 #810 #1540 #1013 #802 --- #257 #273 #239 #205 #158 #121 #103 #86 #79 #77 #61 #53 #44 #35 #28 #30 #29 #28 #23 --- #3126 #2738 #2407 #1907 #1594 #1359 #1104 #1056 #985 #1200 #928 #1196 #1093 #932 #1180 #1903 #1720 #2062 #2058 --- Some of Logan's popularity, may be attributed to the X-Men film franchise which first appeared in screens in 2000, featuring Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan -- the birth count almost doubled in Scotland from 2000 to 2001.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Logan Edwin Bleckley (1827–1907), American lawyer and jurist. Contemporary: * Logan Henderson (b. 1989), American actor and singer. * Logan Lerman (b. 1992), American actor. Literature and Other Media: * Logan 3, character in the 1967 novel Logan's Run by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. * Logan 5, character in the science fiction film Logan's Run (1976).  * Logan, alias of the X-Men character, Wolverine. * Logan Cale, character in the television series Dark Angel. * Logan Echolls, character in the television series Veronica Mars.  * Logan Huntzberger, character in the television series Gilmore Girls.

Variants:

Loghan

Pronunciation:

LŌ-gən [key]

Possible diminutives:

N/A

Sibling Names:

Erin     Maisie     Isla     Brooke     Holly     Niamh  Finn     Connor    Dylan   Callum    Ethan    Harris

Name Lists:

Cosy Celtic    Lively Lads

 

If you like Logan you may also like:    Liam, Lewis, Ryan, Brodie, Arran, Harrison, Cameron, Lucas, Blake, Kai

 

Thanks to Gemma for requesting this post.