Surname Loughney - Meaning and Origin

Loughney: What does the surname Loughney mean?

The last name Loughney is of Irish origin and is derived from the Gaelic surname O Luachain, meaning “descendant of Luachan”. Luachan was a diminutive personal name stemming from “luach”, which means “rag”, or “a small bit of cloth”. Thus, it is believed that the name denoted someone who was small in stature and probably of a humble background.

The surname is especially common in County Cork in Ireland. It is also common in the other parts of Ireland, Europe, and North America. Some prominent people who have the surname Loughney include: Richard Loughney, a former mayor of New Rochelle, NY, who is of Irish descent; Mary Loughney, an English actress of Irish descent; and Kevin Loughney, a former vice president of Intel Corporation, and the son of Irish immigrants.

The name Loughney is associated with social and financial standing, as those of Irish descent have had to overcome discrimination and other difficulties. They have also achieved success in a variety of fields, showing pride in their heritage and a drive to make a better life for themselves and those around them.

Loughney: Where does the name Loughney come from?

The last name Loughney is most commonly found in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Galway and Roscommon. In Galway, the majority of those with this surname will have their roots in the area of Spiddal parish, located in the Connemara region. According to the Central Statistics Office (Ireland), there were 745 people with the surname Loughney in Ireland during the 2011 census. In addition, this name is somewhat common in Scotland, the United States, and Canada, though it is usually spelled differently in these locations (Loughney, Laughlin, Loughlin, etc.).

The Loughney surname originated as an anglicization of the Irish language Ó Locháin. This name was a patronymic, meaning son of Lochlann, which was a name meaning “son of grace” or “beloved”. The Loughney family was among those clans who held power in Connacht prior to 1300. The Loughneys came to prominence as a branch of the O’Flaherty clan. They held sway over the area around Spiddal, and the family was centered around the large island of Clooney off the coast of Spiddal. Several members of the Loughney family went to study in Europe, and it is believed that a branch of the family named Laughlin eventually returned to the U.S. and settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Today, there are scattered Loughneys across the world. An online search reveals that there are Loughney families in Ireland, Scotland, Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Although fewer in number, their presence is still felt, connecting these countries with their ancestral land.

Variations of the surname Loughney

The surname Loughney is an anglicized form of the Irish surname O Lucháin, meaning descendant of Lucháin. This name is derived from an old Irish personal name Luchán, which is of unknown origin. The ' O ' is an ancient Irish prefix meaning 'grandson of' or 'descended from'.

The variants and spellings of Loughney include Loughny, O Loughney, O Loughny, O Lochney and Lochney. The surname could also be found as Lucan, Lucaine, Loughan, Loughaine and Laughlin.

In addition, the surnames of the same origin could also include Lougheed, Loughead, Laghy, Loughery, Loughrey, Lochrie, Lockrie, Lochrye, Laghey and Laughey.

Although spelling variations of this family name existed in Ireland, the most common forms were found in County Fermanagh. These variants spread to both Ireland and Britain in the 17th century. As a result of the potato famine, many Irish families immigrated to the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in the 19th century, and the surname Loughney was adopted in these countries.

In some cases, Irish variants of the name Loughney were adapted to fit the new English language, leading to further variations in spelling. For example, O Lucháin might also be found as Luckin or Laughlin and Lochney might become Lockney or Lockny. Some non-Irish variants of the surname Loughney include Loughin, Raughney and Lawhorne.

Famous people with the name Loughney

• Jack Loughney: retired Major League Baseball pitcher
• Michael Loughney: American forester and wilderness advocate
• Jack Loughney Jr.: Former professional basketball player
• Peter Loughney: British Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany
• Kevin Loughney: American professional wrestler 6.Nancy Loughney: American female athlete
• Gabriel Loughney: American Actor
• Joe Loughney: American television writer & producer
• Stephen Loughney: Australian Actor
• Daniel Loughney: Irish Artist

Other surnames

LoughnanLoughnane