What is "baragwanath"

Baragwanath is a Cornish language surname originating in west Cornwall in the UK. As a result of emigration members of the Baragwanath family can now be found in South Africa, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. In Johannesburg, Gauteng, there is a hospital whose name is derived from a local storekeeper, John Albert Baragwanath: the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Soweto. This hospital has over 3,000 beds.

Variants of the name are Baragwaneth, Baragwnath and Baragwanoth; the meaning of bara gwaneth is wheaten bread (though Charnock prefers bar gwaneth, the top of the wheat field). It is particularly common in Penwith and is recorded as early as the year 1590 (John Baragwanath 1590 to 1660 Married to Eleanor Baragwanath survived by their 8 children, John, Emblem, Elizabeth, Catherine, Joan, Mary, Jane & Richard.)

In Australia the Baragwanath Transform and the fossil plant Baragwanathia were named after the geologist William Baragwanath (d. 1966).