The surname Morgan is extremely ancient. Though it is known to be of Celtic origin, its meaning remains uncertain. The name itself derives from a Celtic first name which was rendered as Morcant in Old Breton, Old Welsh and Cornish; and as Morgunn in Pictish. One possible meaning of the name is ‘sea-bright’, in which case it would have been a nickname referring to the appearance or personality of its original holder.

The name Morgan is most frequently found in South Wales, where it is related to the Country of Glamorgan. Here the name was originally Ap-Morgan, meaning ‘son of Morgan’, (as in Ab-Evan, ‘son of Evan’, which became Bevan). However, the name also occurs often in Scotland, where it is known to have originated from Aberdeenshire and amongst the Mackays of Sutherland. There is even a Clan Morgan in Scotland and this clan title was used by the Mackays of the Reay country.

Other origins include ancient Brittany and Cornwall as well as England, where the name gave rise to the related Morgans, which is short for Morganson.

Morgan was the name of the early British monk who travelled to Europe and started the first Christian heresy. In Europe his name was Graecised to Pelagius-hence the Pelagian heresy, which denies original sin.

The surname Morgan appears in many forms in the early records. The earliest references are to the Latinised form Morganus, which occurs in the Pipe Rolls for Gloucestershire in 1159, and also in the Pipe Rolls for Salop in 1166. However, this form was probably used only for official records. The more vernacular form of Morgund is listed in Scottish records between 1204 and 1211. In 1214 the Curia Regis Rolls for Berkshire list a John Morgan.

The most notorious pirate of the Spanish Main was Sir Henry Morgan (1635—88). For over a decade he terrorised the Caribbean. Such was his power that at one time he commanded a fleet of 36 ships, with over 2,000 buccaneers, and at one stage actually seized control of Jamaica from the Spanish as well as Cuba. He later retired and died a respected planter in Jamaica.

Whimsical fairy Morgan le Fay is variously depicted in Arthurian romance as a magical healer, mistress of Avalon and later as a malign sorceress constantly plotting the death of Arthur and dreaming up evil schemes to discredit the Knights of the Round Table. As late as the nineteenth century the famous mirages seen in the Strait of Messina were popularly believed to be Fata Morgana (the Fairy Morgan) a name still used to describe them.

A morganatic marriage is one between a male of royal birth and a woman of lesser rank, with the provision that any children resulting from the union will not inherit their father’s station or property.

Morgan horses, once the most popular breed in the US, are stylish, all-purpose steeds especially suited for riding. A horse named Justin Morgan (after its owner) was the early-nineteenth-century father of the breed with an eclectic pedigree that, among other strains, combined thoroughbreds and Arabians.

Morganite is a gem-like beryl prized for its lovely pink or rose-like colour.

Anglican clergyman William Morgan’s 1588 translation of the Bible into Welsh became the written language taught to the Welsh people for the next 200 years and thus standardised the language.

The United Kingdom has one name-related town, Morgan’s Vale. Australia has a Morgan and a Morganville while Russia has a Morgana. In the US there are 15 name-related towns including the exotically designated Morganza. There are Morgan mountains in Australia and the US and a Morgan’s Bluff in the Bahamas as well as a Morgan’s Bay in South Africa and a Morgan Island in Antarctica.

With about 133,000 namesakes Morgan is the 37th most popular surname in England and Wales. (The name is not common enough throughout Scotland to be counted separately.) Morgan is notably popular in and around Cardiff where an estimated one in about 70 families bears the name. In descending numerical order Bristol, Coventry and Birmingham are other Morgan strongholds. Around the world Morgans are most common in Sydney (one in 821 families), Wellington (one in 893) and Auckland (one in 927). The United States has more Morgans than the entire population of Leicester-an estimated total of just under 287,000 makes this their 56th most popular surname.