| ![Show Contents]() Hennegan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Ireland The Irish name Hennegan originally appeared in Gaelic as "O hEanain," but sometimes is an abbreviated form of the surname Henagahn. Early Origins of the Hennegan familyThe surname Hennegan was first found in County Tipperary (Irish: Thiobraid Árann), established in the 13th century in South-central Ireland, in the province of Munster, and Offaly where they held a family seat from ancient times. Early History of the Hennegan familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hennegan research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Hennegan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Hennegan Spelling VariationsPronunciation, rather than spelling, guided scribes and church officials when recording names during the Middle Ages. This practice often resulted in one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Hennegan are preserved in these old documents. The various spellings of the name that were found include Heenan, Henaghan, Henehan, Heenon, Hanegan, Hannegan, Hanigan, Hannigan, Haneghan and many more. Early Notables of the Hennegan familyMore information is included under the topic Early Hennegan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Hennegan familyThe 19th century saw a great wave of Irish families leaving Ireland for the distant shores of North America and Australia. These families often left their homeland hungry, penniless, and destitute due to the policies of England. Those Irish immigrants that survived the long sea passage initially settled on the eastern seaboard of the continent. Some, however, moved north to a then infant Canada as United Empire Loyalists after ironically serving with the English in the American War of Independence. Others that remained in America later joined the westward migration in search of land. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, though, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America, and those who arrived were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. In fact, the foundations of today's powerful nations of the United States and Canada were to a larger degree built by the Irish. Archival documents indicate that members of the Hennegan family relocated to North American shores quite early: Dennis, James, John, Martin, Mathias, Michael, Patrick and Robert Heenan, all arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1840 and 1860; Mrs. Ellen Henegan settled in San Francisco Cal. in 1850.
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