Surname Owings - Meaning and Origin

Owings: What does the surname Owings mean?

The last name Owings is of Welsh origin and it’s a patronymic name, meaning it is derived from the father's name. The name translates to "son of Owen." It is derived from two Welsh words, "Owen" and "s" denoting son of. Owen is derived from Eugene, which was derived from the Greek name Eugenios, meaning "noble" or "well-born." Therefore, using these meanings the name Owings can be loosely interpreted to mean "son of the well-born one" or "son of the noble one". This surname may have been originally used to distinguish the son of a person named Owen in families and communities where first names were often recycled across generations.

Owings: Where does the name Owings come from?

The last name Owings is commonly found in the United States today, and more specifically in the Southern and Mid-Atlantic states. According to the 2020 Census, the states with the most Owings families living there were Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

The Owings family name is of Irish origin, and likely had its beginnings in Ireland. Their original inhabitants of the family were likely of a Protestant faith as their name originates from the Anglicized version of "Ó hOgain", which is a Gaelic form of the Old Norse personal name cognate of Óttarr. The surname "Owings" can be found in records as far back as 1613 in County Kerry, Ireland when one Thomas Owins was recorded in the Castlemaine Parish Records.

The popularity of the name "Owings" has not only stayed strong in the United States, but has been spread throughout the English-speaking world. The name can also be found in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Today Owings families can trace their roots back to the original Irish form or even the Old Norse form depending on when their respective families came to the United States.

Variations of the surname Owings

The surname Owings is a variation of Owens, a patronymic surname meaning "son of Owain or Owena" derived from the Welsh personal name Owain. Owens is the Welsh spelling and Owan the Scottish Gaelic spelling.

Variants of the surname Owings include but are not limited to Owsley, Owesly, Owsely, Ownsly, Owinsly, Ounsley, Ouncely, Ounceley, Ownley, Owinslee, Owingslee, and Owinsley.

The surnames Owings and Owens have multiple spellings depending on the languages they have developed and cultures they have traveled through. Owen, Owens, Owin, Owyn, and Owyne are spellings used in Wales, Ireland, and England, while Owings and Owis are used in Germany.

In Scotland, the spelling Ownes has been used. Owin, Owyn, and Owyne are also spellings found in England. The spelling Oyne is found in northern England and Scotland, and Oynes is found in Scotland. Other spellings include Owine, Owins, Owines, Ownes, Owsen, Owsians, and Owyson.

In the United States, Owings can also be spelled Owens, Owings, Owanc, Ouincy, Owance, Ownance, Owans, Owensley, Owingsley, Owsley, Owinsly, Ouncely, Owsely, Ounceley, Ownley and Owingslee.

Surnames that are of the same origin of Owings include Owens, Owan, Owsley, Ownsly, Owinsly, Ounsley, Ouncely, Ounceley, Ownley, Owinslee, Owingslee, and Owinsley.

Famous people with the name Owings

• Zachary Owings: former professional baseball player and current professional hitting coach in the Chicago Cubs Organization
• Jerry Owings: Former professional basketball player who played for the Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets
• Jonathan Owings: Current professional baseball player for the New York Mets
• Leila Owings: Award-winning actress, best known for the films Home Improvement and Point Break
• Patrick Owings: former professional football player who played for the Philadelphia Eagles
• Lewis Owings: former professional baseball player who played for the Atlanta Braves Organization
• Franco Owings: Venezuelan professional baseball player who currently plays for the Aguilas de Zulia
• Janson Owings: Former professional baseball player who played for the Detroit Tigers
• Emily Owings: Renowned figure skater and two-time Olympic medalist
• Ryuji Owings: Japanese professional baseball player currently playing for the Yomiuri Giants.

Other surnames

Owing