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Monaghan History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Monaghan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Monaghan

What does the name Monaghan mean?

Many variations of the name Monaghan have evolved since the time of its initial creation. In Gaelic it appeared as Ó Manachain, which is derived from the word "manach," which means "monk." 1

Early Origins of the Monaghan family

The surname Monaghan was first found in County Roscommon (Irish: Ros Comáin) located in central Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Monaghan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Monaghan research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1798 is included under the topic Early Monaghan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Monaghan Spelling Variations

Many spelling variations of the surname Monaghan can be found in the archives. One reason for these variations is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. The different spellings that were found include Monaghan, Monahan, Monagham, Monahon, Monagan, Mongan, Monaugher, Monck and many more.

Early Notables of the Monaghan family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

Richard Monaghan, alias Dick Monk, at the Battle of Arklow in 1798

Monaghan World Ranking

In the United States, the name Monaghan is the 4,661^st most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2 However, in Australia, the name Monaghan is ranked the 809^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,843 people with that name. 3 And in the United Kingdom, the name Monaghan is the 865^th popular surname with an estimated 7,872 people with that name. 4

Monaghan migration to the United States +

Ireland became inhospitable for many native Irish families in the 19th centuries. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high rents, and discrimination forced thousands to leave the island for North America. The largest exodus of Irish settlers occurred with the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. For these immigrants the journey to British North America and the United States was long and dangerous and many did not live to see the shores of those new lands. Those who did make it were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest and most powerful nations of the world. These Irish immigrants were not only important for peopling the new settlements and cities, they also provided the manpower needed for the many industrial and agricultural projects so essential to these growing nations. Immigration and passenger lists have documented the arrival of various people bearing the name Monaghan to North America:

Monaghan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Patrick Monaghan, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1745 5
Edward Monaghan, who settled in Pensacola, FL in 1767

Monaghan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Bridget Monaghan, who settled in Boston in 1804
Edward Monaghan, who arrived in New York, NY in 1806
Henry Monaghan, who landed in America in 1811 5
Henry Monaghan, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1811
Catharine Monaghan, who arrived in Baltimore in 1825
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Monaghan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Monaghan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Catherine Monaghan, aged 22, a widow, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the schooner "Sarah" from Belfast, Ireland
James Monaghan, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Trafalgar" from Galway, Ireland
Owen Monaghan, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Betsy Heron" from Belfast, Ireland
William Monaghan, aged 24, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland
Mary Monaghan, aged 22, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Monaghan migration to Australia +

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

Monaghan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Catherine Monaghan, English convict from York, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on December 14, 1835, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 6
Miss Janet Monaghan, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth and Henry" on 14th September 1846, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Mr. John Monaghan, Irish convict who was convicted in County Monaghan, Ireland for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Blenheim" on 1st November 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
Miss. Rose Monaghan, (Rosannah, Rose Ann), (b. 1827), aged 23, Scottish country servant who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 7 years for assault, transported aboard the "Baretto Junior" on 5th April 1850, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), she died in 1899 9
Frank Monaghan, aged 22, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Trafalgar" 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Monaghan 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:

Monaghan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Sarah Monaghan, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Siam" in 1865
Miss Ann Monaghan, (b. 1847), aged 21, British general servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 8th February 1869 11
Miss Mary Monaghan, (b. 1846), aged 24, Irish general servant, from County Tyrone travelling from London aboard the ship "Ramsey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 17th June 1870 12
Stephen Monaghan, aged 24, a butler, who arrived in Otago aboard the ship "Dallam Tower" in 1875
Mr. Peter Monaghan, (b. 1855), aged 22, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Marlborough" arriving in Bluff, South Island, New Zealand on 4th November 1877 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Monaghan (post 1700) +

Henry Paul Monaghan (1934-2025), American legal scholar
William J. Monaghan, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State House of Representatives 14th District, 1974 13
Thomas M. Monaghan, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Governor of Delaware, 1912; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Delaware, 1916 13
Thomas J. Monaghan, American politician, U.S. Attorney for Nebraska, 1993-98 13
Thomas J. Monaghan, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 1958-62, 1966-74; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1964 13
Stephen D. Monaghan, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Gardiner, Maine, 1950 (acting, 1950) 13
Thomas F. Monaghan, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Palisades Park, New Jersey; Elected 1930 13
Robert L. Monaghan, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1972 13
Robert E. Monaghan, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1876 13
Mary J. Monaghan, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Iowa, 1944 13
... (Another 26 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Monaghan family +

Lady of the Lake

Mr. George Monaghan (b. 1811), Irish servant from County Cavan, Ireland who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and he survived the sinking

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1835 with 132 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1835
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth-and-henry
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baretto-junior
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) TRAFALGAR 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Trafalgar-March.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html