Morgans History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

The Morgans name is Celtic in origin, arising from the ancient Britons of Wales. It comes from the Old Welsh personal name Morcant, composed of the Welsh elements "mor," meaning "sea," and cant meaning "circle."

Early Origins of the Morgans family

The surname Morgans was first found in Caernarvonshire (Welsh: Sir Gaernarfon), a former county in Northwest Wales, anciently part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, and today divided between the unitary authorities of Gwynedd and Conwy. The surname is derived from the "Welsh personal name of high antiquity. The founder of the Pelagain heresy, in the fourth century, was a true Welshman and a monk of Bangor. His name was Morgan, which signifies 'Of the Sea' and this was correctly Latinized Pelagius. The Morgans of Golden Grove, co. Flint, descend from Marchudd ap Cynan, founder of the eighth noble tribe of North Wales and Powys. " 1

Early History of the Morgans family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Morgans research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1560, 1589, 1600, 1604, 1608, 1624, 1625, 1635, 1641, 1653, 1654, 1664, 1673, 1679, 1680, 1682, 1688, 1689, 1690, 1697, 1698, 1700, 1705, 1715, 1724, 1749, 1751, 1753, 1760, 1761, 1770, 1774, 1790 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Morgans History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Morgans Spelling Variations

Although there are comparatively few Welsh surnames, they have a great many spelling variations. Variations of Welsh names began almost immediately after their acceptance within Welsh society. In the Middle Ages, it was up to priests and the few other people that recorded names in official documents to decide how to spell the names that they heard. Variations that occurred because of improper recording increased dramatically as the names were later transliterated into English. The Brythonic Celtic language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, featured many highly inflected sounds that could not be properly captured by the English language. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were all indicated by the particular variation of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Morgans have included Morgan, Morgen, Morgain, Morgaine and others.

Early Notables of the Morgans family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Admiral Sir Henry Morgan (ca. 1635-1688), Welsh pirate who raided Spanish ships and settlements in the Caribbean, and became acting Governor of Jamaica (1680-1682); William Morgan (1560-1653), a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons of England in 1624 and 1625, supporter of the Royalist cause in the English Civil War; Thomas Morgan (c.1589-1664), a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1654; Major-General Sir Thomas Morgan, 1st Baronet...
Another 83 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Morgans Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Morgans family to Ireland

Some of the Morgans family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Morgans migration to the United States +

Many Welsh joined the great migrations to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like their Scottish and Irish neighbors, many Welsh families left their homeland hoping to find hope and prosperity in a land that the English did not exercise a tight rule over. Those Welsh immigrants that successfully traveled to North America went on to make significant contributions to the rapid development of both Canada and the United States in terms of the settling of land and the establishment of industry. They also added to the rich cultural heritage of both countries. An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Morgans:

Morgans Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Fran Morgans, who landed in Virginia in 1658 2

Morgans Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anthony Morgans, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1700 2

Morgans Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

David Morgans, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1864 2
William Morgans, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1864 2
Morgan Morgans, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1878 2

Morgans migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Morgans Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Morgans, (b. 1849), aged 21, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd December 1870 3
Mr. Edward Morgans, (b. 1852), aged 18, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd December 1870 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Morgans (post 1700) +

Morgan Morgans, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1872 4
Morgan Morgans, American politician, Member of Connecticut State Senate 12th District, 1863-64 4
John Morgans, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1920 4
Alfred E. Morgans, American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Freemantle-Perth, 1926-29 4

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html