Audaciter; LATIN meaning: boldly, proudly, fearlessly.

My ancestors came from Coleraine/Londonderry county that is in the Ulster region of Ireland. Before that the Ewings came from Scotland--this makes them know as Ulster Scots or Scots Irish. There is some evidence that the "original" spelling was EOGHAN and dates back to ancient Ireland circa 379 AD. If this is true it would be of Irish origin?

I have done some research on the origin of the EWING surname and this is what I have found out so far.

Ewing, especially common in Glasgow, Scotland is a characteristically Irish form of the name Ewan, itself an Anglicized form of the Celtic Eogann, meaning 'well born'. Ewing. An Anglicazed form of Ewen.

One book says EWING is quite a numerous surname in Ireland: in 1866 there were 27 births registered for it including the synonyms EWINGS and EWIN, while in 1890 the number was 24, in both cases almost entirely in Ulster. In that province it has since the seventeenth century been especially associated with the counties of Donegal, Derry, Tyrone and Antrim. Many EWING wills are recorded for the dioceses comprising these northern areas. The "census" of 1659-60 is one of the earliest Irish documents to include the name.

The origin of the name is interesting. According to Reaney it goes back to the Greek eugenes(well born), cognate with the Gaelic Irish eoghan. Mac GiollaDomhnaigh too states that Ewing also found as MacEwing is a form of the well known Scottish name MacEwen, gaelice Mac Eoghain i.e. our Irish MacKeown."

Another book says "This Scottish name has been common in Ulster since the seventeenth century and then, as now, it is most numerous in counties Donegal,Derry,Tyrone and Antrim. In Scotland it is an anglicized form of Ewen or Ewan, Gaelic Eoghan, or, more usually, a shortening of MacKeown. The MacEwens were tricked out of their lands by the Campbells and became extinct as a clan (no land no clan).

There is some evidence that several Ewings fought with Rob Roy McGregor during the fight against the Jacobites, but only by single man. Since they had no clan, they had to fight by themselves. Most of them then became followers of their kinsman(cousins) MacLachlan of Clan Lachlan. The Ewens, Ewings and MacEwens mostly settled in Lennox, Lochaber and Galloway and are still most numerous there."

Still another states "EWING is historically stated to be the Anglified form of Ewen or Ewin, derived from Evan or Evghan, which was in Latin Eugenius, and several of the ancient "Kings of Scots" bore the name of Ewen or Eugenius, one of them having been a distinguished leader of his race in the great wars against the Romans. Another of the name (Devonaldus filius Ewyn) was witness to a charter granted by Walter, Steward of Scotland, in 1177, and in the middle of the Sixteenth Century the Ewings acquired the lands, in Dumbarton, which were an ancient possession of the Earls of Lennox and they also possessed valuable estates in County Argyll."

It continues with "The Ewings are of Scottish extraction, and were long settled in the West of Scotland."

There is some evidence that the name EWING is a form of EOGHAN one of the ancient "High Kings" of Ireland EOGAN/ EOGHAN also known as OWEN is also a form of MacKeown. Another fascination is that Niall of the Nine Hostages Circa 379 AD, a High King of Ireland had a son, Eoghan, for whom the county Tyrone is named (Tir Eoghain). Niall was descended from many centuries of the Dal Riata, the clan who overtook the Tuatha and Picts in Scotland. From Eoghan many Irish clans claim decendancy such as the O'Neils also Owen, Gilchrist, etc.

Also EOGHAN traces his ancestry all the way back to ADAM & EVE of the bible. The third son, Seth is where EOGHAN claims to be descended from. Through Seth, also came Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japeth. For royals, at that time, they needed to be able to trace their family basically back to God. Royals had to be divine royals--appointed by God to their positions in life.

Hence, coronations are held in churches and cathedrals of the religion of the country. Celtic peoples did not have churches, persay, but they did have religious areas--rocks, crags, mountains where their coronations would be held.

Also note that since we get back that far there really is not any country affiliation to the family name as Ireland, Scotland & England were pretty much the same at that time and the MacEwens were as most people of that area at that time were Celts.

I also read that Eogan/Eoghan means 'born of the yew'; it was very popular name among the early Irish. Among the tribal ancestors bearing the name was EOGHAN, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages, who gave his name to the Cenel Eoghain, as a result of which it is now enshrined in the name of CO. Tyrone (Tir Eoghain). It was also popular among early saints such as Eoghan of Ardstraw, CO. Tyrone, who while studing at Clones was captured by pirates and carried off to Britain; he escaped and continued his studies at the celebrated Candida Casa, in Galloway. He returned to Ireland, founded the monastery of Kilmamanagh, near Tallaght. before establishing the monastery at Ardstraw. Understandably he had an interest in releasing captives. His feast day is August 23rd.

Saint Eoghan (Owen) of Tyrone -- 23 August / 5 September

Dismissal Hymn (Tone 4)

O great traveller Eogan who didst traverse Christian Europe in thy zeal for Christ, trained by Saint Ninian thou wast a wise teacher of the Faith. Glory to God Who hath glorified thee.

To read more on St Eoghan see The Catholic Encyclopedia on Line ( link below)
Saint Eoghan

Other stories and fables have arisen about the Ewing surname--That they were a lowland ship-building clan who owned the Eagle Wing line of ships or that they derived their name from a clan of Celtic sheepherders who, after being terrorized by a huge eagle, sent one of their clansman to slay the horrible beast and cut off its wing to show proof of the death and hence took the name, "EagleWing", shortened to Ewing. Another also says the Ewing clan holds no claim to being a highland clan. We, ourselves, have not seen any substantial proof of these through our research. The above facts are what we have learned during our search for the Ewing surname.

SOME OF THE VARIOUS SPELLINGS OF EWING

Eoghain Eoghan Eouin Euanson Euenson Eugein Eugen Eughann Eunson Evenson Ewan Ewen EwensonEwin Ewins Ewyn Evyn Evyng Evin Eving Ewing Ewings Ewinge Ewyne Ewein Ewon Keown M'EouinM'Eun M'Ewine M'Kevin M'Yowin MaGoon MacCeun MacCoan MacCoin MacCoon MacCoun MacCuan MacCuen MacCuidhean MacCuithan MacCuithein MacCune MacCunn MacEoghan MacEroune MacEwan MacEwen MacEwin MacEwingMacGoon MacGruen MacKeon MacKeowan MacKeowen MacKeowin MacKeown MacKewan MacKewen MacKewn MacKhone MacKown MacKuen MacKuin MacKune MacOunn MacOwan MacOwans MacOwen MacOwens MacOwin MacOwins MacQuone MacQuowen MacQuowens Makevin Makewin Makewn McCeun McCoan McCoin McCoon McCoun McCuan McCuen McCuidhean McCuithan McCuithein McCune McCunn McEoghan McEroune McEwan McEwenMcEwin McEwing McGoon McGruen McKeon McKeowan McKeowen McKeowin McKeown McKewan McKewen McKewn McKhone McKown McKuen McKuin McKune McOunn McOwan McOwans McOwen McOwens McOwin McOwins McQuone McQuowen McQuowens Owein OwenOwens VcQuhewin Uwing Yewine Yewing There are many others as well.

The Naming of Children

You will find, as you look through many Ewing lines, that the same first names were used over
and over again! We don’t know if our ancestors consistently followed this system, but here are
some helpful guidelines for how the children were named:
The first son was named after the father’s father. (the paternal grandfather)
The second son was named after the mother’s father. (the maternal grandfather)
The third son was named after the father.
The fourth son was named after the father’s oldest brother (and continued after other brothers)
The first daughter was named after the mother’s mother. (the maternal grandmother)
The second daughter was named after the father’s mother. (the paternal grandmother)
The third daughter was named after the mother.
The fourth daughter was named after the mothers oldest sister (and continued after other sisters)

Visit Clan Ewing in America's webpage for Surname Ewing origins below.
CLAN EWING/ORIGIN OF SURNAME EWING
Also See Clan MacEwan's Eoghan page
Also Clan MacEwan's Ewing page

Some of the various coat of arms

Ewing coat of arms

Ewing of Craigtown arms

Old hand drawn coat of arms

another version

MacEwan Clan Badge

McLachlan Clan Badge

Ewing of Keppoch Dumbartonshire

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