Gofferan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the Gofferan family

Early History of the Gofferan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gofferan research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1410, 1444, 1476, 1481, 1547, 1581, 1587 and 1593 are included under the topic Early Gofferan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gofferan Spelling Variations

Pronunciation, rather than spelling, guided scribes and church officials when recording names during the Middle Ages. This practice often resulted in one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Gofferan are preserved in these old documents. The various spellings of the name that were found include MacGovern, Magauran, MacGoveran, MacGoverin and others.

Early Notables of the Gofferan family

Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gofferan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gofferan family

During the 19th century thousands of impoverished Irish families made the long journey to British North America and the United States. These people were leaving a land that had become beset with poverty, lack of opportunity, and hunger. In North America, they hoped to find land, work, and political and religious freedoms. Although the majority of the immigrants that survived the long sea passage did make these discoveries, it was not without much perseverance and hard work: by the mid-19th century land suitable for agriculture was short supply, especially in British North America, in the east; the work available was generally low paying and physically taxing construction or factory work; and the English stereotypes concerning the Irish, although less frequent and vehement, were, nevertheless, present in the land of freedom, liberty, and equality for all men. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Research into passenger and immigration lists has brought forth evidence of the early members of the Gofferan family in North America: Daniel MacGoveran, who settled in Philadelphia in 1840; Andrew, Bernard, Edward, James, John, Michael, Patrick, Peter, Terry, Thomas MacGovern all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.