McKeany History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the McKeany family

Early History of the McKeany family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKeany research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1544 is included under the topic Early McKeany History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKeany 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 McKeany revealed spelling variations, including MacKenna, MacKennagh, MacKenney, MacKenny, MacKinna, MacKinnie and many more.

Early Notables of the McKeany family

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

Migration of the McKeany family

In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the McKeany family came to North America quite early: Andrew, Arthur, Charles, Edward, James, John, Michael, Owen, Patrick, Peter and Thomas McKenna all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860; Alice, Daniel, James, John, Thomas and William McKenney settled in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.