Ewans History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland
England

The sea-swept Hebrides islands and the west coast of Scotland are the ancestral home of the Ewans family. Their name comes from the Gaelic personal name Eógann, which comes from the Latin name, Eugenius, which means well born. Ewans 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 Ewans 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 Ewans family

The surname Ewans 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 Ewans family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ewans 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 Ewans History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ewans Spelling Variations

Medieval translation of Gaelic names could not be referred to as an accurate process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and names in documents from that era are riddled with spelling variations. Ewans has been written as Ewing, Ewin, Ewen, Ewans, Ewens, Eugene, Ewan and many more.

Early Notables of the Ewans family

Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ewans Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ewans family to Ireland

Some of the Ewans 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 Ewans family

Many of the ancestors of Dalriadan families who arrived in North America still live in communities along the east coast of Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence many of the original settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the ancestors of many Scots began recovering their collective national heritage through Clan societies, highland games, and other patriotic events. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Ewans or a variant listed above: 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.

The Ewans Motto +

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

Citations +

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)