Show ContentsHagherty History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Hundreds of years ago, the Gaelic name used by the Hagherty family in Ireland was Ó hEigceartaigh, which is derived from the word eigceartach, which means unjust. 1

Early Origins of the Hagherty family

The surname Hagherty was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Hagherty family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hagherty research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hagherty History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hagherty Spelling Variations

The Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period. The following variations for the name Hagherty were encountered in the archives: Haggarty, Haggerty, Hagarty, Hagherty, Haggety, Hagerty, Hegarty, O'Haggarty and many more.

Early Notables of the Hagherty family

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


New Zealand Hagherty 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:

Hagherty Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Margaret Hagherty, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 17th October 1863 2


The Hagherty 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: Nec flectitur nec mutant
Motto Translation: They neither bend nor change.


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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