Show ContentsLannigan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Norman Conquest of Ireland lead by Strongbow introduced the first non-Gaelic elements into Irish nomenclature. These Anglo-Normans brought some traditions to Ireland that were not readily found within Gaelic system of hereditary surnames. One of the best examples of this is the local surname. Local surnames, such as Lannigan, were taken from the name of a place or a geographical feature where the person lived, held land, or was born. These surnames were very common in England, but were almost non-existent within Ireland previous to the conquest. Originally, these place names were prefixed by "de," which means "from" in French. This type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or was eliminated entirely. The Lannigan family originally lived in the settlement of Llanaghan, which is in the Welsh county of Brecon.

Early Origins of the Lannigan family

The surname Lannigan was first found in County Roscommon (Irish: Ros Comáin) located in central Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they were granted lands by Strongbow after his invasion of Ireland in 1172.

Early History of the Lannigan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lannigan research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1249 is included under the topic Early Lannigan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lannigan Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes and church officials spelled the names as they sounded, so a name was often spelled many different ways during the lifetime of a single person. The investigation of the origin of the name Lannigan revealed many spelling variations including Lanigan, Lanahan, Lenaghan, Lanaghan, Linehan and many more.

Early Notables of the Lannigan family

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


United States Lannigan migration to the United States +

Ireland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape the horrific conditions. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Lannigan:

Lannigan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Johana Lannigan, aged 20, who arrived in America from Queenstown, Ireland,in 1897
  • Michael Lannigan, aged 21, who arrived in America from Queenstown, Ireland, in 1897
  • Kate Lannigan, aged 21, who arrived in America from Killarney, Ireland, in 1899
Lannigan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Daniel Lannigan, aged 36, who arrived in America from County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1915
  • John Lannigan, aged 5, who arrived in America from County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1915
  • Vera Lannigan, aged 29, who arrived in America from Kingston, Jamaica, in 1918

Canada Lannigan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lannigan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Patrick Lannigan, aged 19 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Triton" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 1
  • Mr. Silbry Lannigan, aged 5 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Triton" departing 14th May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 24th July 1847 but he died on board 2
Lannigan Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • Josephine Lannigan, aged 9, who arrived in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1921

Contemporary Notables of the name Lannigan (post 1700) +

  • Henry Hayden Lannigan (1863-1930), American first head basketball coach in the University of Virginia (1905-1929)
  • Dr. Norman Alexander Lannigan O.B.E., British Head for Pharmacy and Prescribing Support Unit NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018, for services to Pharmaceutical Care and Medicines Management 3
  • George Thomas Lannigan (1845-1846), sometimes spelt Lanigan, a Canadian journalist and poet


The Lannigan 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: Patriae infelici fidelis
Motto Translation: Faithful to an unhappy country.


  1. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 38)
  2. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 83)
  3. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists


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