This interesting surname of Irish origin with variant spellings Loughnan, Loughnane, Laughnan, Loughman, etc., is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic O Lachtnain "descendant of Lactnan", a personal name from "Lachtna" meaning "grey". The surname dates back to the mid 16th Century, (see below). In the census of 1695 Loughman is one of the principal Irish names of County Kilkenny and Queen's County (Leix). The name has been prevalent in those counties up to comparatively recent times. London church recordings include one John, son of Jeames and Jeane Loughman who was christened on October 19th 1640, at St. Botolph without Aldergate, Denis Loughman who married Sus Rice on March 2nd 1683, at St. Katherine by the Tower, and George, son of Andrew and Anne Loughman, was christened on March 16th 1794 at St. Lukes, Old Fish Street, Finsbury. One Michael Loughnan, aged 23 yrs, a famine emigrant, sailed from Liverpool aboard the Stephen-Whitney bound for New York on April 6th 1846. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of O'Loughman, which was dated 1550, in the "Fiants of Ireland", during the reign of King Edward V1, known as "The Boy King", 1547 - 1553. 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.

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