Kavanaugh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland-Alt
Ireland

Irish names tend to vary widely in their spelling and overall form. The original Gaelic form of the name Kavanaugh is Caomhanach, an adjective denoting association with St. Caomhan. The first Kavanagh, Donal, the son of Dermot MacMurrough, was fostered by a successor of this saint.

Early Origins of the Kavanaugh family

The surname Kavanaugh was first found in County Carlow (Irish: Cheatharlach) a small landlocked area located in the province of Leinster in the South East of Ireland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. The Kavanaghs (Cavanaghs) were descended from the MacMorough stem and were Lords of Leinster. Donoch McMorough was the King of Leinster, son of Dermod and it was from Donoch from which the Cavanaghs sprang. They were descended directly from the Heremon Line of Irish Kings. Donell, son of Dermot MacMurrough acquired the name Caomhanach, or Cavanagh. His sister Eva married Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke, the leader of the English invasion of Ireland. 1

Early History of the Kavanaugh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kavanaugh research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1538, 1540, 1541, 1543, 1554, 1667, 1739 and 1889 are included under the topic Early Kavanaugh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kavanaugh Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name Kavanaugh revealed spelling variations, including Cavanagh, Kavanagh, Kavanah, Cavanaugh, Keevan, Cavanaw, Kavanaw, Cavenaugh, Cavanough, Cavaneagh, Cavana, Cavena, Cavinaugh, Kavina, Kavena, Kavanaugh, Cavanach, Kavanach, Cabenagh, O'Cavanagh, O'Kavanagh, Keaveney, Geaveney, M'Cavanna and many more.

Early Notables of the Kavanaugh family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was Cahir Mac Art Kavanagh, Lord of St. Molyns, Baron of Ballyann (d. 1554), the eldest son of Art Kavanagh of St. Molyns (Teach Molyns), and Chief of his Sept. He took part in the rebellion of the Leinster Geraldines, but submitted to Lord Leonard Grey in 1538. "He renewed his submission to Sir Anthony St. Leger in November 1540, and preferred a request to be allowed to hold his land in feudal tenure. He was anxious, he declared, to imitate his ancestor, Dermot Mac Murrough, king of Leinster, who had introduced the English...
Another 141 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kavanaugh Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kavanaugh Ranking

In the United States, the name Kavanaugh is the 7,325^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2

Kavanaugh migration to the United States +

Death and immigration greatly reduced Ireland's population in the 19th century. For the native Irish people poverty, hunger, and racial prejudice was common. Therefore, thousands left their homeland to seek opportunity in North America. Those who survived the journey and the quarantine camps to which they arrived, were instrumental towards building the strong developing nations of the United States and the future Canada. By far, the largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These were employed as construction or factory workers. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has shown early immigrants bearing the name Kavanaugh:

Kavanaugh Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Maggie Kavanaugh, aged 17, who arrived in New York in 1892 aboard the ship "City of Berlin" from Liverpool, England 3
Arthur Kavanaugh, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Britannic" from Liverpool, England 3
Thomas Kavanaugh, aged 26, who arrived in New York in 1896 aboard the ship "Umbria" from Liverpool, England 3
Michael Kavanaugh, aged 25, who arrived in New York in 1899 aboard the ship "Campania" from Queenstown 3

Kavanaugh Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Michael Kavanaugh, aged 26, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Mauretania" from Southampton, England 3
John Kavanaugh, aged 19, who arrived in New York, N. Y. in 1919 aboard the ship "Mexico" from Havana 3
Frank Kavanaugh, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Le Coq" from Newport, England 3
Michael Kavanaugh, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Lapland" from Southampton, England 3
Rose Kavanaugh, aged 53, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Zacapa" from Santiago, Cuba 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Kavanaugh (post 1700) +

Frederick W. Kavanaugh (1871-1940), American businessman and politician, member of the New York State Senate (1921-1924)
Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, American Personal Secretary to the President for US President George W. Bush (2000-2004)
William Marmaduke Kavanaugh (1866-1915), American politician, United States Senator from Arkansas in 1913
Patrick Kavanaugh (b. 1954), American composer, conductor, and the author of many books
Walter J. Kavanaugh (1933-2008), American Republican Party politician
Ryan Kavanaugh (b. 1974), American film producer and entrepreneur, ranked No. 19 on Forbes's 2013 list of youngest billionaires
Ken Kavanaugh (1916-2007), American football player, coach and scout
Brett Michael Kavanaugh (b. 1965), American federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals
Charles C. Kavanaugh, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Little Rock, Arkansas, 1933-38 (acting, 1933-34) 4
C. W. Kavanaugh, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1904, 1908, 1912 (alternate) 4
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Kavanaugh family +

SS Atlantic

Sarah Kavanaugh, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html