Show ContentsHeaphy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name is derived from the Irish Gaelic personal name "ó hEamhthaigh." 1 The origins of this ancient personal name are obscure. It is possible that there is a connection to the word "eamh" which denotes a "groaning or exclamation of disgust."

Early Origins of the Heaphy family

The surname Heaphy was first found in the Athlone region, County Westmeath (Irish: An Iarmhí) in the Irish Midlands, province of Leinster. Later some records of the family were found in Waterford and Cork. 1

Early recorded instances of the name are rare, but there was a bearer recorded as a husbandman of Thisteinagh, in Couty Westmeath in 1601.

Early History of the Heaphy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heaphy research. The years 1659, 1775 and 1835 are included under the topic Early Heaphy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heaphy Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Heaphy, O'Heaphy, Heaphey, Heavey, O'Heavy, Heafy, O'Heafey, Heflin and many more.

Early Notables of the Heaphy family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was

  • Thomas Heaphy (1775-1835), a renowned portrait artist in London, whose work still hangs in major galleries in Britain and America...


United States Heaphy migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Heaphy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Heaphy, who landed in Mississippi in 1876 2
  • Cornelius Heaphy, aged 21, who arrived in America from Kildare, in 1893
  • Alice Heaphy, aged 30, who arrived in America, in 1895
  • Patrick Heaphy, who arrived in Ellis Island aboard The Teutonic in April 1898
Heaphy Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Katie Heaphy, aged 20, who arrived in America from Kildorrery, Ireland, in 1904
  • William A. Heaphy, aged 42, who arrived in America, in 1905
  • Archibald Heaphy, aged 43, who arrived in America, in 1909
  • Margaret Heaphy, aged 20, who arrived in America from Cork, Ireland, in 1911
  • Mary Heaphy, aged 24, who arrived in America from Fermoy, Ireland, in 1913
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Heaphy migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Heaphy Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • Ralph Heaphy, aged 35, who arrived in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, in 1923

New Zealand Heaphy 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:

Heaphy Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Heaphy, British draughtsman travelling from London aboard the ship "Tory" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 20th September 1839 3
  • Charles Heaphy, who landed in New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Tory
  • William Heaphy, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Cuba
  • William Heaphy, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cuba" in 1840
  • Charles Heaphy, aged 18, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Prince of Wales" in 1842
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Heaphy (post 1700) +

  • Tim Heaphy (b. 1964), American criminal defense attorney, law professor, United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia (2009-)
  • Mike Heaphy, American folk musician and recording artist
  • Thomas Heaphy the Younger (1813-1873), English portrait and subject painter, eldest son of Thomas Heaphy the Elder
  • Thomas Heaphy the Elder (1775-1835), English water-colour painter born in London on 29 Dec. 1775 where his father, John Gerrard Heaphy, had a somewhat romantic history, having been born on a battle-field where his father was killed 4
  • Charles Heaphy (1820-1881), English-born, New Zealand explorer and recipient of the Victoria Cross for gallantry in the face of the enemy, eponym of the Heaphy Track and the Heaphy River 4
  • William Heaphy, New Zealand ten-year participant in the U.S. Antarctic Research Program, eponym of the Heaphy Spur, Antarctica
  • Chris Heaphy, New Zealand artist who is based in Auckland
  • William "Bill" Heaphy (1888-1914), Australian rules footballer who played from 1908 to 1909 for Essendon
  • Shawn Heaphy (b. 1968), Canadian retired professional NHL hockey player who played for the Calgary Flames during the 1992-93 NHL season


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
  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. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  4. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 5 Feb. 2019


Houseofnames.com on Facebook