Show ContentsGaney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Ganey

What does the name Ganey mean?

Irish names tend to vary widely in their spelling and overall form. The original Gaelic form of the name Ganey is "Mag Fhionnbhairr," which is derived from the word "fionnbharr," which means "fair head." 1

The Mc Geaney and O'Geaney variants were originally Geibheannaigh in Gaelic which roughly translates to "fettered" in English. These branches were typically found in Co. Cork and Co. Roscommon. 1

Early Origins of the Ganey family

The surname Ganey was first found in county Longford (Irish: An Longfort) traditionally known as Annaly or Teffia, and situated in the Irish Midlands, in Northwest Leinster. 2

They claim descent through the Line of Ir, Irish kings and one source notes the Gaynor variant as originally Geraadhan in Gaelic. However, the same source claims the name could have been MacFinbhair, which matches the aforementioned entry. 3

Early History of the Ganey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ganey research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Ganey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ganey Spelling Variations

In the Middle Ages many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the Ganey family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Gaynor, Gainor, Gainer, Gaines, Gains, McGaynor and others.

Early Notables of the Ganey family

More information is included under the topic Early Ganey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ganey Ranking

In the United States, the name Ganey is the 11,230th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4


Ganey migration to the United States +

The 18th century saw the slow yet steady emigration of Irish families to British North America and the United States. Those early Irish settlers that left their homeland were typically moderately well off: they were enticed by the promise of a sizable plot of land. However, by the 1840s, this pattern of immigration was gone: immigrants to North America were seeking refuge from the starvation and disease that the Great Potato Famine of that decade brought. The great numbers of Irish that arrived to the United States and the soon to be Canada were instrumental in their quick development as powerful industrial nations. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists uncovered many early immigrants bearing the name Ganey:

Ganey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Anna Ganey, who landed in Virginia in 1623 5
  • William Ganey, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 5
  • Henry Ganey, who landed in Virginia in 1623 5
  • Richard Ganey, who landed in Virginia in 1639 5
Ganey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Peter Ganey, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1812 5
  • P Ganey, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1856 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Ganey (post 1700) +

  • James Cullen Ganey (1899-1972), American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Northampton County Democratic Party, 1937; U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1940-61 6
  • George T. Ganey Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Erie County 2nd District, 1954 6
  • Elloy R. Ganey, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Chautauqua County 1st District, 1926; Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1928 6


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
  3. O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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