| ![Show Contents]() Finnagan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Ireland Hundreds of years ago, the Gaelic name used by the Finnagan family in Ireland was "O Fionnagain," derived from the word "fionn," denoting a fair-headed person. Early Origins of the Finnagan familyThe surname Finnagan was first found in counties Galway and Roscommon (Irish: Ros Comáin) located in central Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. Early History of the Finnagan familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Finnagan research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1405 is included under the topic Early Finnagan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Finnagan Spelling VariationsNames from the Middle Ages demonstrate many spelling variations. This is because the recording scribe or church official often decided as to how a person's name was spelt and in what language. Research into the name Finnagan revealed many variations, including Finnegan, O'Finnegan, Finegan, O'Finegan, Finigan and many more. Early Notables of the Finnagan familyMore information is included under the topic Early Finnagan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Finnagan familyTo escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Finnagan or a variant listed above, including: Christopher, Hugh, James, and John, Mary, Michael, Owen, Patrick, Peter, William Finnegan who all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.
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