hÓgáin

hÓgáin is the Gaelic form related to the Irish surname Ó hÓgáin. In Irish orthography the name denotes descent from a person named Ógán, and the form with an initial h reflects a lenition that occurs in the full phrase Ó hÓgáin. In English-language contexts the same surname is typically rendered as Hogan.

Etymology and form: The root is the personal name Ógán, which itself is linked to the Irish word óg meaning young. The prefix Ó indicates “descendant of,” so Ó hÓgáin means “descendant of Ógán.” When the full hereditary name is written in Irish, the mutation after the particle Ó results in the h- in hÓgáin; in standalone or anglicised usage, the form is usually simplified to Hogan.

Usage and distribution: The Gaelic form hÓgáin appears primarily in Irish-language texts, genealogical records, and other contexts where Gaelic orthography is preserved. The corresponding anglicised form Hogan is widely used in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora, and it is the more common spelling outside strictly Irish-language contexts.

Notable references: There are few widely cited individuals known specifically by the spelling hÓgáin in English-language sources. The surname is generally encountered in its anglicised form, Hogan, in contemporary public life, while hÓgáin remains relevant in Irish-language scholarship and genealogical practice.

See also: Hogan; Ó hÓgáin.