Mahn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

In its ancient Gaelic form, the Irish name Mahn was written Mac Mathghamhna, which later became Mac Mathuna. Both names are derived from the word "mathghamhan," which means "bear."

Early Origins of the Mahn family

The surname Mahn was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where the MacMahons were lords of Corca Baisgin; and possessed the greater part of the baronies of Moyarta and Clonderlaw. 1

"The Munster MacMahons formerly possessed the greater part of the Baronies of Moyarta and Clonderalaw, in the County Clare, in which county the predominant name now is McMahon." 2

Early History of the Mahn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mahn research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1119, 1519, 1600, 1606, 1643, 1644, 1650, 1660, 1680, 1707, 1715, 1727, 1737, 1747 and 1780 are included under the topic Early Mahn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mahn Spelling Variations

One explanation for the many variations is that scribes and church officials frequently spelled the name as it sounded: an imprecise method at best. Understandably then, various spellings of the surname Mahn were found in the many archives researched. These included MacMahon, MacMann, MacMahan, MacMohan and others.

Early Notables of the Mahn family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Séamus mac Pilib Mac Mathghamhna (died 1519), was Bishop of Derry. Hugh Oge MacMahon (1606-1644), was an Irish conspirator, was probably of Sir Brian MacHugh Oge MacMahon, Lord of the Dartree in the county of Monaghan. Herber MacMahon (1600-1650), Bishop of Clogher in 1643, a Catholic leader, commanded the Ulster...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mahn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mahn Ranking

In the United States, the name Mahn is the 18,586^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Mahn migration to the United States +

Suffering from poverty and racial discrimination, thousands of Irish families left the island in the 19th century for North America aboard cramped passenger ships. The early migrants became settlers of small tracts of land, and those that came later were often employed in the new cities or transitional work camps. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Although the immigrants from this period were often maligned when they arrived in the United States, they provided the cheap labor that was necessary for the development of that country as an industrial power. Early immigration and passenger lists have revealed many immigrants bearing the name Mahn:

Mahn Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Philip Mahn, who arrived in Texas in 1850-1906 4
A J Mahn, who arrived in New York in 1850 4
Amandus Mahn, who landed in New York in 1850 4
Eduard Mahn, who arrived in New York in 1850 4
George D Mahn, who landed in Mississippi in 1892 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mahn Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Henry Mahn, aged 26, who arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Orion" from Genoa, Italy 5
Henry A. Mahn, aged 29, who arrived in New York in 1919 from Deippe 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Mahn (post 1700) +

Elisabeth Mahn (b. 1986), Austrian synchronized swimmer at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Carl August Friedrich Mahn (1802-1887), German philologist and language teacher and researcher

The Mahn 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: Sic nos sic sacra tuemur
Motto Translation: Thus we guard our sacred rights.

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
Matheson, Robert E., Special Report on Surnames in Ireland with Notes as to Numeric Strength, Derivation, Ethnology, and Distribution. Dublin: Alexander Thom & Co., 1894. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result