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Moynihan History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Moynihan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The surname Moynihan is an anglicized version of the Irish name Ó Muimhneachain. 1

Early Origins of the Moynihan family

The surname Moynihan was first found in County Mayo (Irish: Maigh Eo) located on the West coast of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Connacht, where a sept of the Hy Fiachrach group called Ó Mionachain was mentioned in 1220 by the Four Masters. They were sub-chiefs of Erris.

Early History of the Moynihan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Moynihan research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1659 is included under the topic Early Moynihan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moynihan Spelling Variations

Many spelling variations of the surname Moynihan can be found in the archives. One reason for these variations is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. The different spellings that were found include Moynihan, Minihan, Minaghan, Moynaghan, Myneghane, Minighane, Munnighane, Minihane, Minnagh, Mimnagh, Moyna and many more.

Early Notables of the Moynihan family

Notable among the family name at this time was

Michael Moynihan from Skibbereen, who along with his brother Mortimer Moynihan, was an associate of O'Donovan Rossa in his Fenian activities

Moynihan Ranking

In the United States, the name Moynihan is the 7,736^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Moynihan migration to the United States +

Ireland became inhospitable for many native Irish families in the 19th centuries. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high rents, and discrimination forced thousands to leave the island for North America. The largest exodus of Irish settlers occurred with the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. For these immigrants the journey to British North America and the United States was long and dangerous and many did not live to see the shores of those new lands. Those who did make it were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest and most powerful nations of the world. These Irish immigrants were not only important for peopling the new settlements and cities, they also provided the manpower needed for the many industrial and agricultural projects so essential to these growing nations. Immigration and passenger lists have documented the arrival of various people bearing the name Moynihan to North America:

Moynihan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Daniel Moynihan, who was naturalized in Detroit in 1834
Denis Moynihan and his family, who immigrated to New York in 1850
Denis Moynihan, aged 33, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 3
Biddy Moynihan, aged 41, who arrived in New York, NY in 1851 3
Biddy Moynihan and his sons, who emigrated from Ireland to New York in 1851
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Moynihan migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Moynihan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Margaret Moynihan, aged 14, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Lord of the Isles" 4

Moynihan migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Moynihan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Moynihan, (b. 1856), aged 19, Irish ploughman from County Kerry travelling from London aboard the ship "Waimate" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th December 1875 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Moynihan (post 1700) +

Timothy Moynihan (d. 2020), American politician, Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives (1975-1986)
James Michael Moynihan (1932-2017), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, the 9th Bishop of Syracuse
Jesse Moynihan (b. 1978), American artist, composer and director
Brian Thomas Moynihan (b. 1959), American lawyer, businessman and the Chairman and CEO of Bank of America
Daniel Patrick "Pat" Moynihan (1927-2003), American sociologist, political leader and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Michael Moynihan (b. 1969), American journalist and publisher
Elizabeth B. Moynihan, American Democratic Party politician, Presidential Elector for New York, 1992 6
Edward F. Moynihan, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1944 6
Donald F. Moynihan, American politician, Representative from Massachusetts 2nd District, 1936 6
Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1927-2003), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1960 (alternate), 1984, 1988, 1996, 2000; U.S. Ambassador to India, 1973-75; U.S. Representative to United Nations, 1975-76; U.S. Senator from New York, 1977 6
... (Another 24 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
"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)
South Australian Register Monday 14th August 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Lord of the Isles 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/jamesfernie1854.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html