Where does “Vaughan” come from?

Vaughan is an English surname derived from Welsh Vychan, from Welsh bychan, ultimately from Proto-Celtic bikkos, a diminutive suffix related to Proto-Indo-European -kos.

Ancestry of “Vaughan”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Welsh	Vychan	—
2	Welsh	bychan	small; little
3	Middle Welsh	bych	—
4	Proto-Brythonic	bɨx	small
5	Proto-Celtic	*biggos	—

Every word from Proto-Celtic *biggos →

Vaughan — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer