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Heffernan History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Heffernan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

There are a multitude of ancient meanings and variations associated with the Irish surnames that are now common throughout the modern world. The original Gaelic form of the name Heffernan is Ó hIfearnain.

Early Origins of the Heffernan family

The surname Heffernan was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár), located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Heffernan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heffernan research. Another 52 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1719 and 1777 are included under the topic Early Heffernan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heffernan Spelling Variations

Within archives, many different spelling variations exist for the surname Heffernan. Ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in the name of the single person being recorded under several different spellings. Different spellings that were found include Heffernan, Heffernam, O'Heffernan, O'Heffron, Hefferen, Hefferney, Heffernon, Hefferon and many more.

Early Notables of the Heffernan family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Paul Hiffernan (1719-1777), Irish miscellaneous writer, born in or near Dublin in 1719. "His parents, intending him for the priesthood of the Roman Catholic church, sent him to a classical school in Dublin. When very young he went with...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Heffernan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heffernan Ranking

In the United States, the name Heffernan is the 5,820^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in Australia, the name Heffernan is ranked the 784^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,969 people with that name. 2

Heffernan migration to the United States +

North America accepted thousands of Irish immigrants during the 19th century as their homeland suffered under foreign imperialistic rule. Although settlers from the early portion of the century came to North America by choice in search of land, by far the largest influx of Irish immigrants came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Many of these Irish families left the country destitute and in some cases suffering from disease. However, those who survived the long ocean voyage were especially vital to the development of industry in the United States and what would become known as Canada. Research of immigration and passenger lists has shown many early immigrants bearing the name Heffernan:

Heffernan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Heffernan, who arrived in New York in 1840 3
Bridget, Catherine, Joanna, Margaret, Mary, Michael, and Patrick Heffernan, who settled in Boston in 1849
William Heffernan, who arrived in Illinois in 1856-1864 3
Patrick Heffernan, who landed in Mississippi in 1858 3
Edmund, Edward, John, Michael, Thomas and William Heffernan, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Heffernan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Heffernan Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Dennis Heffernan, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1752

Heffernan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Timothy Heffernan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1805
Johanna Heffernan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1812
Johana Heffernan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1826
Michael Heffernan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1832
Maurice Heffernan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1833
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Heffernan migration to Australia +

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

Heffernan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Heffernan, aged 21, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Epaminondas" 4
Anne Heffernan, aged 19, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Epaminondas" 4
Patrick Heffernan, aged 40, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Standard" 5
John Heffernan, aged 14, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Standard" 5
Patrick Heffernan, aged 12, a farm sevant, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Standard" 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Heffernan (post 1700) +

William Heffernan (b. 1940), American novelist
Phillip Heffernan, American publisher
Kevin Heffernan (b. 1968), American actor
George T. Heffernan, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Montgomery County, 1942 6
Francis P. Heffernan, American Democratic Party politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Richmond County 1st District, 1931-33; Defeated, 1933 6
Edward J. Heffernan, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Maryland 8th District, 1992 6
Edward Heffernan, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives, 1907-10 6
Dina Heffernan, American Democratic Party politician, Presidential Elector for Florida, 2012 6
Daniel J. Heffernan, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Bristol, 1902 6
Christopher J. Heffernan, American Republican politician, Justice of New York Supreme Court 4th District, 1926-49; Justice of the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court 3rd Department, 1933-49 6
... (Another 24 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
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)
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) EPAMINONDAS 1852. Retrieved www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/epaminondas1852.shtml
South Australian Register Friday 14 October 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Standard 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/standard1853.shtml
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html