Meaning and origin
The last name Sloan can be traced back to both Irish and Scottish origins. In Irish Gaelic, it is derived from the name O’ Sluagháin, which translates to “descendant of the little warrior.” On the Scottish side, the name is believed to have originated from the Scottish Gaelic word “sluagh,” meaning “host” or “army.” Over time, the name O’ Sluagháin evolved into Sloan, becoming a common surname in both Ireland and Scotland.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
Similar spellings
#800
Sloan was the 800th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 43,261 people, about 15 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Sloan
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Sloan is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.