McMeeken History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of McMeeken

What does the name McMeeken mean?

The Irish surname McMeeken was originally Ó Miadhachain in Irish Gaelic, which is derived from the word "miadhach," meaning "honorable." 1

Early Origins of the McMeeken family

The surname McMeeken was first found in County Leitrim (Irish: Liatroim) anciently the western half of the kingdom of Breifne, located in Northeastern Ireland, in Leinster province, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the McMeeken family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McMeeken research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McMeeken History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McMeeken Spelling Variations

Lacking standardized spellings, scribes and church officials recorded people's name according to how they sounded. This practice often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname McMeeken are preserved in the archival documents of the period. The various spellings of the name that were found include O'Meehan, Meighan, MacMeehan, MacMeekin, MacMeekan,MacMehan, MacMehon and many more.

Early Notables of the McMeeken family

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

McMeeken migration to Canada +

Many Irish families boarded ships bound for North America in the middle of 19th century to escape the conditions of poverty and racial discrimination at that time. Although these immigrants often arrived in a destitute state, they went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. An inquiry into many immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants to North America bearing the McMeeken family name:

McMeeken Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Anderson McMeeken, aged 24, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland
Mary McMeeken, aged 23, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland

Contemporary Notables of the name McMeeken (post 1700) +

Bryan McMeeken, Canadian Directors Guild of Canada Award winning Assistant Director, known for his work in Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001), Cube Zero (2004) and Schitt's Creek (2015)
Kate McMeeken -Ruscoe (b. 1979), New Zealand silver medalist basketball player as the 2006 Commonwealth Games
Mike McMeeken (b. 1994), English rugby league player for Castleford Tigers

Sources +

MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)