Gagin

By any standards "Gagin" is a name of interesting origins. There are two main sources, the first being a derivation of the Gaelic-Welsh "Cogan", this translates as one resident in a hollow or depression, as found in the village of Cogan in South Wales. The second is French and again residential for one who owned or lived by "gauge" orchards, the "gauge" being a nut-bearing tree. Other possibilities include being a derivation of the Old French "Gogin", this is a dialectal nickname diminutive originally from Margaret, and found in Ireland from the 16th Century, whilst another possibility is 18th Century Huguenot (see below) but this is simply a variant of Gaugin. The name recordings include the following "link" examples: Thomas Gageing, who married Elizabeth Kimberley at St. Mary Le Bone, London, on July 7th 1690, and Thomas Gagin, christened at St. Giles' Church, Cripplegate, on September 5th 1714. A slightly later example is that of Francoy Gagoin, who was christened on July 23rd 1721, at the French Huguenot Church, Threadneedle Street, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Gaggen, which was dated August 26th 1594, marriage to Jayne Urique, at St. Bride's Church, Fleet Street, London, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.