Logan
A Scottish and Irish surname originally tied to a low, hollow, or meadow-like place.
The #492 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,546 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is usually explained as coming from a Celtic place-word meaning a hollow, low-lying spot, or a meadow/flat place surrounded by higher ground. In Scottish use, it became a place name and then a surname from people living near or coming from such locations. Some older writers also connected it with specific Scottish localities, while Irish sources link it to Gaelic forms such as O’Logain/O’Loughan-type names, so the exact family origin can vary by branch.
History
Lower notes Logan early in Scotland, including a Robert de Logan in the 12th century and a Walter Logan who did homage in 1297. The name is widespread in Scotland in both place names and surnames, and it also appears in Irish genealogical tradition under related Gaelic forms. Because multiple independent lineages used similar forms, not every Logan family shares the same origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Several Scottish parishes and districts bear names related to Logan or Logie, which is one reason the surname has both strong locational and clan-style associations.
From the historical record
“disposition. LOGAN. A Celtic word used In Scottish topography, both singly and as a pi-efix, and siguifyiug a hollow place, or plain, or meadow surrounded by rising grounds, Gaz. of Scotl. LOGIE. The same as Logan. ]\Iany parishes and districts of Scotland bear this name, both with and without a sufBx. LOGGIE.…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom