Show ContentsCavanaugh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Irish names tend to vary widely in their spelling and overall form. The original Gaelic form of the name Cavanaugh is Caomhanach, an adjective denoting association with St. Caomhan. The first Kavanagh, Donal, the son of Dermot MacMurrough, was fostered by a successor of this saint.

Early Origins of the Cavanaugh family

The surname Cavanaugh was first found in County Carlow (Irish: Cheatharlach) a small landlocked area located in the province of Leinster in the South East of Ireland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Cavanaugh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cavanaugh research. Another 141 words (10 lines of text) covering the year 1889 is included under the topic Early Cavanaugh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cavanaugh Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Cavanagh, Kavanagh, Kavanah, Cavanaugh, Keevan, Cavanaw, Kavanaw, Cavenaugh, Cavanough, Cavaneagh, Cavana, Cavena, Cavinaugh, Kavina, Kavena, Kavanaugh, Cavanach, Kavanach, Cabenagh, O'Cavanagh, O'Kavanagh, Keaveney, Geaveney, M'Cavanna and many more.

Early Notables of the Cavanaugh family

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

Cavanaugh Ranking

In the United States, the name Cavanaugh is the 2,461st most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 1


United States Cavanaugh migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cavanaugh Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Michael Cavanaugh, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 2
  • Peter Cavanaugh, aged 34, who arrived in Maryland in 1812 2
  • John Cavanaugh, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 2
  • Michel Cavanaugh, who arrived in Mississippi in 1856 2
  • Patrick Cavanaugh, aged 32, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1860 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Cavanaugh migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cavanaugh Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Darby Cavanaugh, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1752

Australia Cavanaugh migration to Australia +

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

Cavanaugh Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Cavanaugh, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 8th April 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3

New Zealand Cavanaugh 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:

Cavanaugh Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • M. Cavanaugh, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Storm Cloud" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 8th December 1862 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Cavanaugh (post 1700) +

  • Frank W. "The Iron Major" Cavanaugh (1876-1933), American football player and coach, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954
  • James Michael Cavanaugh (1823-1879), American politician, U.S. Representative from Minnesota (1858-1859)
  • Christine Cavanaugh (b. 1963), former American voice actress
  • David "Dave" Cavanaugh (1919-1981), American composer, arranger, musician and producer, best known for his work on Nat King Cole's 1958 album Welcome to the Club
  • John William Cavanaugh (1921-1985), American sculptor
  • John J. Cavanaugh (1899-1979), American priest and academic, 14th President of the University of Notre Dame (1946-1952)
  • Dean Cavanaugh (b. 1966), award-winning American artist, screenwriter, film and TV producer and music producer
  • Carey Cavanaugh (b. 1955), former U.S. Ambassador
  • Matthew Andrew Cavanaugh (b. 1956), former American NFL football quarterback
  • John Joseph Cavanaugh III (b. 1945), Nebraska Democratic politician
  • ... (Another 40 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Cavanaugh 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: Siothchain agus fairsinge
Motto Translation: Peace and plenty.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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