Meechant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Etymology of Meechant

The Irish surname Meechant was originally Ó Miadhachain in Irish Gaelic, which is derived from the word "miadhach," meaning "honorable." 1

Early Origins of the Meechant family

Early History of the Meechant family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Meechant research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Meechant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Meechant Spelling Variations

Lacking standardized spellings, scribes and church officials recorded people's name according to how they sounded. This practice often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Meechant are preserved in the archival documents of the period. The various spellings of the name that were found include O'Meehan, Meighan, MacMeehan, MacMeekin, MacMeekan,MacMehan, MacMehon and many more.

Early Notables of the Meechant family

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

Migration of the Meechant family

Many Irish families boarded ships bound for North America in the middle of 19th century to escape the conditions of poverty and racial discrimination at that time. Although these immigrants often arrived in a destitute state, they went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. An inquiry into many immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants to North America bearing the Meechant family name: Owen McMehan, who settled in Philadelphia in 1845; Juda and Felix McMean settled in Boston in 1768.