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Ahern History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Ahern History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Many Irish surnames can be traced back to their Gaelic forms. The name Ahern originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó hEachthigheirn or Ó hEachthigheirna, made up of the words "each" meaning "steed," and "thighearna," meaning "lord." This was first Anglicized O'Hagherin, which was later changed to O'Aherne before the prefix was eventually dropped. 1

Early Origins of the Ahern family

The surname Ahern was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat as a Dalcassian sept from before the year 1000. However, with the disruptions of the Strongbow Invasion of 1172, they migrated southward to counties Cork and Waterford. In Waterford the name is predominantly Hearn and Hearne.

Early History of the Ahern family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ahern research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1420, 1566, 1754, 1769, 1797 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Ahern History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ahern Spelling Variations

Many variations of the name Ahern were found in archives from the Middle Ages. The spelling and language in which the people's names were recorded was often up to the individual scribe. Variations of the name Ahern found include O'Aherne, O'Ahern, Hearne, O'Heffron, Haveran, Hayveren and many more.

Early Notables of the Ahern family

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

Ahern Ranking

In the United States, the name Ahern is the 3,983^rd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2

Ahern migration to the United States +

The 18th and 19th centuries saw many Irish families immigrate to North America in search of land and opportunities. The largest influx of Irish immigrants to the United States and British North America came during the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine laid waste to their homeland. Hundreds of thousands left the island in an attempt to escape the starvation and disease it brought. Although the arrival of such a large number of destitute Irish was not welcomed by the established population in the United States and what would become known as Canada at the time, these Irish were an essential element to the rapid development of these growing industrial nations. They filled the demand for the cheap labor needed for the work in factories and in the construction of bridges, roads, canals, and railways. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many immigrants bearing the name of Ahern or one of its variants:

Ahern Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Ahern, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 3

Ahern Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Patrick Ahern, who landed in America in 1810 3
Patrick Ahern, who arrived in Mississippi in 1840 3
Timothy Ahern, who arrived in Mobile County, Ala in 1841 3
Thomas Ahern, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1850 3
Patrick Ahern, aged 21, who landed in DeWitt County, Illinois in 1852 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ahern migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ahern Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Morris Ahern was a Sergeant in the Royal Newfoundland Regiment in 1797 4

Ahern Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Bridget Ahern, aged 27, who landed in Canada in 1823
Jane Ahern, aged 3, who arrived in Canada in 1823
John Ahern, aged 28, who arrived in Canada in 1823
Thomas Ahern, aged 3, who landed in Canada in 1823
John Ahern, aged 25, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the barque "Independence" from Kinsale, Ireland
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ahern migration to Australia +

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

Ahern Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Ahern, Irish convict who was convicted in Limerick, Ireland for life for being an Irish rebel and murderer, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he is listed as dying on board 5
Mr. Michael Ahern, (b. 1778), aged 23, Irish convict who was convicted in Limerick, Ireland for life for being a Political prisoner, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. Murtagh Ahern, Irish framer who was convicted in Limerick, Ireland for life for murder, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1852 5
Mr. William Ahern, Irish convict who was convicted in Waterford, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. James Ahern, British Convict who was convicted in India, transported aboard the "Eagle" in 1810, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he was sent to Newcastle in 1811 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ahern 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:

Ahern Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Ahern, aged 32, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jessie Osborne" in 1867
Michael Ahern, aged 38, a carpenter, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Chile" in 1874
Michael Ahern, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Collingwood" in 1875
Ellen Ahern, aged 27, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Queen" in 1883 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Ahern (post 1700) +

Lassie Lou Ahern (1920-2018), American silent film actress, best known for her recurring appearances in the Our Gang films and as Little Harry in the 1927 silent film Uncle Tom's Cabin
Brigadier-General Leo James Ahern (1886-1974), American Executive Officer, Office of the Inspector-General US Army (1940) 8
Jerry Ahern (b. 1946), American science fiction and action novel author
Gene Ahern (1895-1960), American comic-strip artist
Frederick Ahern (1907-1982), American filmmaker
Cecelia Ahern (b. 1981), Irish novelist
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern (b. 1951), former Taoiseach (prime minister) of Ireland (1997-2008)
Dermot Ahern (b. 1955), former Irish Fianna Fáil politician
Michael John Ahern AO FTSE (1942-2023), Australian National Party politician, 32nd Premier of Queensland from December 1987 to September 1989
David Anthony Ahern (1947-1988), Australian composer and music critic

Historic Events for the Ahern family +

HMS Repulse

Mr. Patrick Ahern, British Leading Stoker, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 9

Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)

John Michael Gerard Ahern (1962-1988), American Bond Broker from Rockville Center, New York, America, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 10

USS Arizona

Mr. Richard James Ahern, American Fireman First Class from California, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 11

The Ahern 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: Per ardua surgo
Motto Translation: I rise through difficulties.

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
"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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eagle
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 6) Leo Ahern. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Ahern/Leo_James/USA.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html