Forrehan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Hundreds of years ago, the Gaelic name used by the Forrehan family in Ireland was Ó Fuarain or in some records Ó Furanain.

Early Origins of the Forrehan family

The surname Forrehan was first found in Connacht (Irish: Connachta, (land of the) descendants of Conn), where they were firstly known as Macgiollarnath or Mac Gilla na Naomh, meaning 'son of the devotee of the saints', which, through mistranslation and time emerged as an off-shoot of the main Clan through a chieftain O'Fuarthain or O'Fuarain, which, in English, became Forrehan.

Early History of the Forrehan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Forrehan research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1355 and 1816 are included under the topic Early Forrehan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Forrehan Spelling Variations

Those scribes in Ireland during the Middle Ages recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in this era many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the Forrehan family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Foran, Forhane, Forahan, Forhan, Foreham and many more.

Early Notables of the Forrehan family

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

Migration of the Forrehan family

A massive amount of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century for North America and Australia in hopes of finding more opportunities and an escape from discrimination and oppression. A great portion of these migrants arrived on the eastern shores of the North American continent. Although they were generally poor and destitute, and, therefore, again discriminated against, these Irish people were heartily welcomed for the hard labor involved in the construction of railroads, canals, roadways, and buildings. Many others were put to work in the newly established factories or agricultural projects that were so essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the world. The Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s initiated the largest wave of Iris immigration. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Forrehan or a variant listed above: Jno Forehead, who came to Virginia in 1653; Gillian Forehand, who arrived in Maryland in 1671; John Foran who settled in New York State in 1804;Patrick Forehan was a merchant in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1770.

The Forrehan 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: Lucrum Christi mihi
Motto Translation: Without Christ, there is no light.