Show ContentsHannity History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Irish surnames in use today are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Hannity originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó hEighnigh. 1

Early Origins of the Hannity family

The surname Hannity was first found in County Londonderry (Irish: Doire), a Northern Irish county also known as Derry, in the province of Ulster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Hannity family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hannity research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hannity History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hannity Spelling Variations

The spelling of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was rarely consistent. This inconsistency was due to the scribes and church officials' attempts to record orally defined names in writing. The common practice of recording names as they sounded resulted in spelling variations such as Heaney, Heany, Hegney, Hegeany, Heagney, Heeney and others.

Early Notables of the Hannity family

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


United States Hannity migration to the United States +

The English-ruled Ireland of the late 18th and 19th centuries featured a rapidly increasing population and an agricultural-based economy. This combination proved to be disastrous in the 1840s after a couple of failed potato harvests. Thousands died of disease and starvation, and thousands more left the country, often bound for North America. Those that survived the journey to North America were put to work building the bridges, canals, roadways, and railways needed for the development of an industrial society. Those Irish, although often despised by those already established in North American cities and towns, played an instrumental role in making Canada and the United States the powerful and wealthy nations that they are today. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has shown many immigrants bearing the name Hannity:

Hannity Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Rose Hannity, aged 40, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York in 1821 aboard the ship "Princess Charlotte" 2
  • Hugh M. Hannity, aged 24, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York in 1855 aboard the ship "Harmonia" 2
  • Ellen Hannity, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York in 1858 aboard the ship "Isarel Webb" 2
  • Thomas Hannity, age 17, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York in 1858 aboard the ship "Yorkshire" 2
  • Nathan Hannity, age 20, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York in 1858 aboard the ship "Yorkshire" 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Hannity Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Edward Hannity, aged 24, Irish settler who arrived at Ellis Island, New York in 1900 aboard the ship "Campania" 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Hannity (post 1700) +

  • Sean Patrick Hannity (b. 1961), American talk show host, conservative political commentator and author, host of The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show, and has also hosted a commentary program, Hannity, on Fox News, since 2009
  • Bernie Hannity, British researcher and academic with the School of Health Sciences, Jean McFarlane Building, The University of Manchester


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. Ellis Island Search retrieved 9th February 2023. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


Houseofnames.com on Facebook