A Welsh surname meaning 'small' or 'little,' commonly used as both surname and given name.
From Welsh bychan meaning 'little' or 'small,' later anglicized through fychan to vaughan to vaughn. The name often indicated the younger or smaller of two people with the same name.
This surname demonstrates how Welsh naming traditions preserved family relationships through descriptive terms - 'Vaughn' literally meant 'little John' or 'young David.' Many prominent Vaughns, from composer Ralph Vaughan Williams to actors, carry this ancient marker of familial hierarchy.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.