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MacMahon History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

MacMahon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland-Alt
Ireland

In its ancient Gaelic form, the Irish name MacMahon was written Mac Mathghamhna, which later became Mac Mathuna. Both names are derived from the word mathghamhan, which means bear.

Early Origins of the MacMahon family

The surname MacMahon 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 very ancient times.

Early History of the MacMahon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacMahon research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1119, 1600, 1650, 1680, 1715, 1737, 1747 and 1780 are included under the topic Early MacMahon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacMahon Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: MacMahon, MacMann, MacMahan, MacMohan, Mc Mahon and others.

Early Notables of the MacMahon family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

Herbert MacMahon (1600-1650), Bishop of Clogher, a Catholic leader, who commanded the Ulster army

MacMahon migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

MacMahon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry MacMahon, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 1
Bridget MacMahon, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 1

MacMahon migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

MacMahon Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Thomas MacMahon, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1831

MacMahon migration to Australia +

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

MacMahon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James MacMahon, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 20th January 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 2
Mr. Edward Macmahon, (b. 1798), aged 42, British Convict who was convicted in Lancaster, England for 15 years for coining, transported aboard the "Asia" on 25th April 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1851 3

MacMahon 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:

MacMahon Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Ellen MacMahon, aged 23, a dairymaid, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Salisbury" in 1874
Margaret MacMahon, aged 20, a dairymaid, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Salisbury" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name MacMahon (post 1700) +

Bernard MacMahon, British film director and writer, best known as the director, creator and writer of American Epic
Aline Laveen MacMahon (1899-1991), American Academy Award nominated actress, best known for her performance in Dragon Seed (1944)
Brian MacMahon (1923-2007), British-born, American epidemiologist who chaired the Department of Epidemiology of the Harvard School of Public Health from 1958 until 1988
Lloyd Francis MacMahon (1912-1989), American lawyer and U.S. federal judge
Tony MacMahon (1939-2021), Irish button accordion player and radio and television broadcaster
Sir William MacMahon (1776-1837), 1st Baronet, an Irish jurist, Master of the Rolls in Ireland
Thomas O'Brien MacMahon (b. 1777), Irish writer, known for his book 'An Essay on the Depravity and Corruption of Human Nature' (1774)
General Sir Thomas Thomas MacMahon (1779-1800), 2nd Baronet, Irish general, Commander-in-Chief at Bombay
Sir Thomas Westropp MacMahon (1813-1892), 3rd Baronet, Irish Major-General, eldest son of General Sir Thomas MacMahon
Sir Charles MacMahon (1824-1891), Irish soldier and immigrant to Australia where he retired and became Member of the Legislative Assembly West Bourne, son of Sir William MacMahon
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The MacMahon 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: So dorn dona dhubhfuiltish
Motto Translation: Here's a fist for the dark-blooded

Citations +

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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1840