| ![Show Contents]() Lenehan 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 Lenehan, 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 Lenehan family originally lived in the settlement of Llanaghan, which is in the Welsh county of Brecon. Early Origins of the Lenehan familyThe surname Lenehan 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 Lenehan familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lenehan research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1249 is included under the topic Early Lenehan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Lenehan Spelling VariationsMedieval 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 Lenehan revealed many spelling variations including Lanigan, Lanahan, Lenaghan, Lanaghan, Linehan and many more. Early Notables of the Lenehan familyMore information is included under the topic Early Lenehan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Lenehan 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 Lenehan:
Lenehan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Philip Lenehan, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1743 1
| Contemporary Notables of the name Lenehan (post 1700) | + |
- Nancy Lenehan (b. 1953), American actress
- Thomas J. Lenehan, American Republican politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for California, 1948 2
- Michael Lenehan, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 2004 2
- Joseph R. Lenehan (1916-1981), Irish politician and publican
- Jim Lenehan (b. 1938), former Australian rugby union footballer
- Susan Mary Lenehan (b. 1943), former Australian politician
- John Lenehan (b. 1958), British classical pianist and composer
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.
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Lenehan migration to the United States 
Ireland
England
