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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Eugene m. Ancient Greek εὖ 'well' + Ancient Greek γένος 'race, stock, kin, family'.

The name of a 4th C saint, a 5th C prince of North Wales, a 7th C pope and saint, a 7th C Brittonic ruler, an 8th C Brittonic ruler, a 9th C pope, a 10th C king of Strathclyde, an 11th C king of Strathclyde, a 12th C pope, a 12th C king of Gwynedd, a 12th C prince of Powys, a 13th C king of Gwynedd, a 15th C prince of Wales, and a 15th C pope.

The name was adopted into Old Welsh as Ou(u)ein or Eug(u)ein; this was the name a 6th C son of a king of Rheged who became the basis for a knight of the Round Table and son of King Urien in Arthurian legend. The popularity of Arthurian legend cycles in France contributed to the use of Yvain, the Old French form of the name. In Ireland, the corresponding form was Eoghan. The connection between Owen and Eoghan on the one hand and Eugene on the other is sometimes disputed.

England
Early Modern English
1531 Owen SaxhamSf p. 126; 1555 Owen BarnstapleBap p. 9; 1562 Owyen ibid. p. 12; 1568 Owen bruton-vol1 p. 5; 1578 Owen ibid. p. 7; 1583 Owin StAnthonlin p. 30; 1585 Owen ibid. p. 31, bruton-vol1 p. 46; 1588 Owen DEmar-vol2 p. 15; 1593 Owin StAnthonlin p. 36; 1594 Owen DEmar-vol2 p. 28; 1598 Owen ibid. p. 38
France
Latin
1146 Eugenii (gen) CartNDSaintes VIII, Eugenius (nom) ibid. VIII; 1147 Eugenii (gen) ibid. XXV; 1148 Eugenio (abl) ibid. XXIV, Eugenius (nom) ibid. XXIV; 1378 Ywano (dat) hanquetvol1 948
Old French
1303 Evens (nom) ArchCambIII p. 151
Middle French
1392 Yvain MemBret-II col. 610
Wales
Latin
1198 Owini (gen) Pryce-1st no. 8; 1452 Owen (nom) ArchCambIII p. 71; 1453 Owen (nom) ibid. p. 70; 1497 Owen (nom) ibid. p. 68, Owyn (nom) ibid. p. 108
Middle Welsh
1142x1157 Owain ArchCambIII p. 74
Cite as: S.L. Uckelman. "Eugene". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2016, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2016/1/name/Eugene.