On the western coast of Scotland and on the Hebrides islands the Youyan 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. Youyan 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 Youyan 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]
The surname Youyan 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.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Youyan research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1164, 1178, 1546, 1555, 1598, 1621, 1636, 1664, 1717, 1611, 1687, 1633, 1681, 1678 and are included under the topic Early Youyan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In various documents Youyan 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.
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Youyan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Youyan family to IrelandSome of the Youyan 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.
Dalriadan families proliferated in North America. Their descendants still populate many communities in the eastern parts of both the United States and Canada. Some settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists, in the wake of the American War of Independence. Families on both sides of the border have recovered much of their heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and highland games. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Youyan 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.
Scotland
England
