The surname Owens is of Welsh origin. It is derived from the sub-Roman period from the Latin name Eugenius; in Welsh it became the personal name Owain. It may also alternatively represent an Old Celtic name meaning ‘born of Esos’. Esos or Aesos was a God with a cult in Gaul. The given name Eugene signifies, ‘well born, noble’, from the Greek ‘Eugenios’ which it is ultimately derived from. This was the name of various saints, notably a third century bishop and martyr, who gave the name some currency during the Middle Ages; a seventh century bishop of Toledo, and four popes. The popularity of the name in Russia is due to the cult of a fourth century missionary bishop who preached in the Crimea and southern Russia. In western Europe the name owes its popularity at least in part to the fame of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736), a general who co-operated with Marlborough in defeating the French forces of Louis XIV. In Ireland the name has been used as an anglicization of the Gaelic, Eoghan. The name first reco…
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