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Re: English surname "Own"
A variant surname I found is Onn, mostly found in Lincolnshire, particularly in regions called North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire, which is the same spot where the surname Own is most concentrated at. This means that most likely the surname Own and Onn are variants of each other. The surname Own/Onn could possibly be of Welsh origin, variants of Owen, but based on my research, it is on the bottom of my list of likely possible origins of this surname Own and Onn. I think this surname could either originate from English surname Ann, or maybe the surname Own/Onn is of Scandinavian origin. Old Norse?
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Actually, while doing research again, I think I have found more plausible answer to the origin of surname Own and Onn. Perhaps it is a variant of Scottish surname Ogg, also found in Northern Lincolnshire than any where else in England. Perhaps how the name Onn/Own came about is the pronouciation of the Scottish surname Ogg? Another variant surname I have found is Oun, mostly found in Lincolnshire, but is now rare in the UK. This surname Oun is also found in France, a possibility of French origin.
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I think the association with the the Scottish Ogg, from Gaelic Óg ('young') is quite a stretch.
Have you come across the East Anglian name Ong in the course of your research?
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Ahh yes, the surname Ong I think also means 'young' and is perhaps most likely of Old Norse origin, from Old Norse 'ungr'. I am coming to conclude that the surname Own/Onn most likely derived from 'young', also as English and Scottish surnames Young, Yong, Younge, Youngs, and I think the Norfolk surnames Younge and Ong are of Old Norse origin of the same meaning. But are the Owns/Onns of English, Scottish, or Scandinavian origin? I think most likely either Scandinavian or Scottish. I am leaning more towards of Scottish heritage, because of the connection that both the surnames Ogg and Owns/Onn are mostly found in regions Northern Lincolnshire and Northeastern Lincolnshire, and that perhaps the Ogg of Lincolnshire are most likely Scottish. The surname Ong is from East Anglia, and they are rare in Lincolnshire, but overall, I'm not sure.Another theory I came across was that then name Onn could derived from Welsh 'onn' meaning ash trees, but I think perhaps not likely for the origin of the Own/Onn of Lincolnshire.
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