Kegan

Meaning of Kegan

The name Kegan, traced to the Gaelic patronymic Mac Aedhagáin—‘son of little Aodh’, with Aodh denoting ‘fire’ in Old Irish—imbues its bearer with an implicit ignis and fortitudo, like embers glowing within a storied lineage, reflecting both ancestral ardor and resilience. A sociolinguistic examination of its prevalence in the United States delineates a measured ascent: from sporadic entries in the 1970s, through a zenith in the early 1990s (ranking around 600th), to its current position near 900th in 2024, a pattern that attests to its enduring if understated appeal. Phonetically versatile, Kegan adapts to regional inflections—KEE-gawn in Irish and Scottish Gaelic (/ˈkiːɡɔːn/), KEE-guhn in American English (/ˈki.gən/), and KEG-an in Welsh (/'keg.an/')—each variant refracting its etymological essence through connotative nuance. Analytically approached, the name synthesizes historical depth with contemporary resonance, offering a balanced cohesion of cultural gravitas and progressive vivacity.