McGeehan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of McGeehan

What does the name McGeehan mean?

Hundreds of years ago, the Gaelic name used by the McGeehan family in Ireland was Mac Eogain in Connacht, and Mac Eoin in east Ulster. Both of these names connote a "son of John," or "son of Owen." 1

Early Origins of the McGeehan family

The surname McGeehan was first found in County Sligo (Irish: Sligeach), in the province of Connacht in Northwestern Ireland, where the first people to use this surname are thought to have originated. Soon thereafter, the name was also found in neighboring Leitrim.

Early History of the McGeehan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McGeehan research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McGeehan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McGeehan Spelling Variations

Before widespread literacy came to Ireland, a name was often recorded under several different variations during the life of its bearer. Accordingly, numerous spelling variations were revealed in the search for the origin of the name McGeehan family name. Variations found include Keon, MacKeon, MacKeown, MacKewan, MacKoun, MacWing, Hone, MacOwen, Mageown and many more.

Early Notables of the McGeehan family

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

McGeehan Ranking

In the United States, the name McGeehan is the 16,831^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

McGeehan migration to the United States +

Thousands of Irish families left for North American shores in the 19th century. These people were searching for a life unencumbered with poverty, hunger, and racial discrimination. Many arrived to eventually find such conditions, but many others simply did not arrive: victims of the diseased, overcrowded ships in which they traveled to the New World. Those who lived to see North American shores were instrumental in the development of the growing nations of Canada and the United States. A thorough examination of passenger and immigration lists has disclosed evidence of many early immigrants of the name McGeehan:

McGeehan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Catherine McGeehan, who arrived in New York, NY in 1817 3
Susan McGeehan, who landed in New York, NY in 1817 3
Dennis, George, James, John, Patrick, William McGeehan, who all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860
Eliza J. McGeehan, who immigrated to the United States, in 1892
Bridjet McGeehan, aged 19, who immigrated to America from Donegal, in 1898

McGeehan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

John McGeehan, aged 58, who immigrated to the United States from Donegal, Ireland, in 1902
Danie McGeehan, aged 55, who landed in America from Donegal, Ireland, in 1907
James McGeehan, aged 23, who settled in America from Donegal, Ireland, in 1908
Hannah McGeehan, aged 20, who settled in America from Ramelton, Ireland, in 1909
Fannie McGeehan, aged 55, who landed in America from Doocharry, Ireland, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McGeehan 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:

McGeehan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Neil McGeehan, South African settler travelling from Cape Town aboard the ship "Eveline" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 22nd January 1865 4

Contemporary Notables of the name McGeehan (post 1700) +

Albert H. McGeehan (b. 1944), American politician, mayor of Holland, Michigan (1993 to 2009), recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (2009)
Hugh V. McGeehan, American head football coach for the Villanova University Wildcats football team in 1923
Daniel "Dan" De Sales McGeehan (1885-1955), American Major League Baseball infielder
Cornelius "Connie" Bernard McGeehan (1882-1907), American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher
William O'Connell "W. O." McGeehan (1879-1933), American sportswriter and editor of the New York Herald Tribune
Mary Kate McGeehan, American actress
John E. McGeehan (1880-1968), American Justice of the New York Supreme Court (1933 to 1950)
John McGeehan, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1884 5
Elizabeth McGeehan, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1952 5
Albert Howe McGeehan, American politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 23rd District, 1912 5
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

Moore, A.W., Manx Names. London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1906. Print
"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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html