by Jennifer Vose

Created on: January 21, 2008

The name Logan has a rich history, both as a given name and a surname. The name, pronounced LOH-gan, is derived from a Scottish family surname. In Scotland, the Logans had a highland clan and a lowlan clan. Perhaps in their honor, there is a place Logan in Ayrshire, Scotland. The Scottish word "lag" from which "lagan" is derived means hollow, or little hollow, and Logan has the same associated meaning. In Ireland, for boys and girls, Logan instead refers to "small cove." You can also find as a noun that Logan means "balancing rock." Other less-common meanings are the Scottish "Finnian's Servant" and the Anglo-Saxon "record."

Scottish Logans were first recorded in the 13th century. The clan motto "Hoc Majorum Virtus" means "This is the valour of my ancestors."

Perhaps as a given name, the most famous Logan was Chief Logan, an American-Indian from the 18th century. Born in 1725, Chief Logan died in 1780. His lasting contribution is the famous speech "Logan's Lament" in which he derided the settlers attitudes towards the American Indians. Brought on by the brutal slaying of his family, the speech is thought to have incited Dunmore's War in 1774, which had one major battle. The Logan Elm is a memorial thought to be where Logan may have made his famous speech.

There is a long list of other famous Logans. In fiction, the two most famous Logans include Wolverine of X-Men fame, and Logan of "Logan's Run," the 1976 science fiction movie. There have also been Logans as characters on "Baywatch," "Young and the Restless," "Gilmore Girls," "General Hospital," and "Veronica Mars." In real life, Logan Ramsey is an actor who appeared in many shows including "Star Trek" and "Hawaii 5-0." There is a French Illustrator who goes by Logan. Logan Reed is an actor, also, in pornography. Logan Pearsall Smith is an American essayist, and Logan Hudson is a child actor.

As a surname, Logan is also quite famous. Beth, Donna, Storm, and Brooke Logan are fictional characters on "The Bold and the Beautiful." Phyllis Logan is a Scottish actress, Nook Logan is a Major League Baseball player, Mike Logan plays American football, Adam Logan is a tournament Scrabble player, Benjamin Logan was an American pioneer, and George Logan was a United States Senator.

As a surname, Logan has been in the US for quite some time. Many Logans emigrated from Scotland, Britain, England, and Ireland between 1850 and 1900. The majority of Logans were farmers or laborers. Prior to emigration, they lived mostly in Lancashire

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