| ![Show Contents]() Eugene History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of EugeneWhat does the name Eugene mean? On the Scottish west coast, the Eugene family was born among the ancient Dalriadan clans. Their name comes from the Gaelic personal name Eógann, which comes from the Latin name, Eugenius, which means well born. Eugene is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Many patronyms were formed when a son used his father's personal name as a surname, while others came from the personal names of famous religious and secular figures. The Eugene family was established in Scotland, well before the Norman Conquest of England, in 1066. Euing appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 and may have been derived from Eawa's son. A Eawa was brother of Penda, king of Mercia. 1 However, another source claims the name was a "descendant of Ewen (warrior)." 2 And yet another source claims the name "goes back to the Greek eugenes (wellborn.)" 3 Early Origins of the Eugene familyThe surname Eugene was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Dovenaldus Ewain, documented in 1164. Early History of the Eugene familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eugene research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1164, 1178, 1546, 1555, 1598, 1611, 1621, 1633, 1636, 1664, 1678, 1681, 1687, 1717 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Eugene History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Eugene Spelling VariationsIn various documents Eugene has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. Ewing, Ewin, Ewen, Ewans, Ewens, Eugene, Ewan and many more. Early Notables of the Eugene familyMore information is included under the topic Early Eugene Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Eugene RankingIn the United States, the name Eugene is the 6,970th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4 Migration of the Eugene family to IrelandSome of the Eugene family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Eugene familySignificant portions of the populations of both the United States and Canada are still made up of the ancestors of Dalriadan families. Some of those in Canada originally settled the United States, but went north as United Empire Loyalists in the American War of Independence. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the ancestors of many Scots on both sides of the border begin to recover their collective national heritage through Clan societies and highland games. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Alexander, Henry, James, John, Mathew, Thomas, William Ewing all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1865; John, Robert, and Elizabeth Ewins settled in Virginia in 1623.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Eugene (post 1700) | + |
- James Eugene, Canadian-born, American actor and comedian
- Chrispin Eugene, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Spring Valley, New York, 2013 5
- Charles Eugene, singer/actor
- Gale Eugene Sayers (1943-2020), nicknamed "The Kansas Comet", American former college and professional football running back, inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame
- Jeffrey Eugene Trussler (b. 1963), retired United States Navy vice admiral who last served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare and Director of Naval Intelligence (2020-2023)
- Alan Eugene Jackson (b. 1958), American country artist who has sold over 50 million records, into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2017 and into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018
- Roger Eugene Winfield (1927-2025), American automotive customizer and fabricator, his work appearing in the film Blade Runner (1982)
- William Eugene McEuen (1941-2020), American film producer and record producer famous for working with Steve Martin and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
- William Eugene Scott (1929-2005), American minister and teacher who served for almost 50 years as a pastor and broadcaster in Los Angeles, California
- Arthur Eugene Fryslie (1941-2024), American politician, born in Watertown, South Dakota
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Audaciter
Motto Translation: Boldly
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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