Contents [hide]

Lanigan History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Sources

Lanigan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
England

Etymology of Lanigan

What does the name Lanigan mean?

The Anglo-Norman Conquest of Ireland lead by Strongbow introduced the first non-Gaelic elements into Irish nomenclature. These Anglo-Normans brought some traditions to Ireland that were not readily found within Gaelic system of hereditary surnames. One of the best examples of this is the local surname. Local surnames, such as Lanigan, were taken from the name of a place or a geographical feature where the person lived, held land, or was born. These surnames were very common in England, but were almost non-existent within Ireland previous to the conquest. Originally, these place names were prefixed by "de," which means "from" in French. This type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or was eliminated entirely. The Lanigan family originally lived in the settlement of Llanaghan, which is in the Welsh county of Brecon.

Early Origins of the Lanigan family

The surname Lanigan was first found in County Roscommon (Irish: Ros Comáin) located in central Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they were granted lands by Strongbow after his invasion of Ireland in 1172.

Early History of the Lanigan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lanigan research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1249 is included under the topic Early Lanigan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lanigan Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes and church officials spelled the names as they sounded, so a name was often spelled many different ways during the lifetime of a single person. The investigation of the origin of the name Lanigan revealed many spelling variations including Lanigan, Lanahan, Lenaghan, Lanaghan, Linehan and many more.

Early Notables of the Lanigan family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was

George Lanigan of Castle Fogarty

Lanigan Ranking

In the United States, the name Lanigan is the 13,734^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Lanigan migration to the United States +

The Irish emigration during the late 18th and 19th century contributed to the melting pot of nationalities in North America, and the building of a whole new era of industry and commerce in what was seen as a rich, new land. Ireland'sGreat Potato Famine resulted in the worst economic and social conditions in the island's history. And in response to the hunger, disease, and poverty, during this decade the total number of emigrants to leave for North America rivaled all the previous years combined. Those from this decade that arrived on North American shores were not warmly welcomed by the established population, but they were vital to the rapid development of the industry, agriculture, and infrastructure of the infant nations of the United States and what would become Canada. Research into early immigration and passenger lists has shown many people bearing the name Lanigan:

Lanigan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Lanigan, who landed in America in 1805 2
George Lanigan, who arrived in New York, NY, in 1811 2
Peter Lanigan, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1868 2

Lanigan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lanigan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Margaret Lanigan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1804
Catherine Lanigan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1806
Margaret Lanigan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1831
John Lanigan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1839
Mrs. Bridget Lanigan, aged 40 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Camillia" departing 19th May 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 7th July 1847 but she died on board 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lanigan migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Lanigan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Anne Lanigan, aged 2, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Europa" 4
Ellen Lanigan, aged 23, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Nashwauk" 5
Mary Lanigan, aged 21, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Admiral Boxer"
Richard Lanigan, aged 26, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Stamboul"

Lanigan migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Lanigan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. James Lanigan, Australian settler travelling from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia aboard the ship "Bee" arriving in New Zealand in 1833 6
James Lanigan, aged 16, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1878

Contemporary Notables of the name Lanigan (post 1700) +

John Lanigan (b. 1943), American radio and TV personality, best known as the longtime morning host at WMJI/Cleveland (1985-2014)
Ernest John Lanigan (1873-1962), American professional baseball statistician an d author of the first encyclopedia of baseball
Michael "Mike" Lanigan, American entrepreneur and IndyCar Series team owner
Jim Lanigan (1902-1983), American jazz musician
Paddy "Icy" Lanigan (1881-1945), Irish hurler who played for Kilkenny (1904-1914)
James "Jimmy" Lanigan (b. 1911), Irish hurler, Tipperary Senior Hurling Captain (1936-1937), All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final winning captain in 1937
Michael "Mick" Lanigan (b. 1938), retired Irish company director and Fianna Fáil politician from County Kilkenny
John Lanigan (1758-1825), Irish Church historian
Bob Lanigan (1942-2024), Australian rugby league footballer who played for Newtown in the New South Wales Rugby League (1965-1968)
Damian Lanigan, British writer, best known for his two novels Stretch 29 and The Chancers

The Lanigan Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Patriae infelici fidelis
Motto Translation: Faithful to an unhappy country.

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 83)
South Australian Register Monday 14th May 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Europa 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/europa1855.shtml
South Australian Register Monday 14th May 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Nashwauk 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/europa1855.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html