Maddigan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The surname Maddigan originally appeared in Gaelic as "Mac an Mhadaidh," which is probably derived from the word "madadh," which means "warrior, dog." 1

Another source claims the family claim descent through Owen Buac, brother of Owen Fionn, ancestor of O'Madadhain, of Connaught, slain, 1008; Anglicized O'Madden, Madden. The Madden family of Longford, County Galway, the O'Madden family of Balbriggan, County Dublin and the Madden family of Ulster are all branches of the original. 2

Alternatively, the name could have been from "descendant of little Matthew (gift of Jehovah.)" 3

Early Origins of the Maddigan family

The surname Maddigan was first found in County Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

We did find this interesting entry for the Mudrigan variant in the parish of St. Martin, Cornwall, England: "Although this parish contains no manor, Mudgian is said formerly to have had manorial rights, when it belonged to a family of this name, and was their seat. From the Mudgians it passed with an heiress in marriage to the Chynoweths." 4

Early History of the Maddigan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maddigan research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1347, 1556, 1567, 1677, 1713 and 1715 are included under the topic Early Maddigan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maddigan Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: MacAvaddy, Madden, O'Madden, Madigan, Macavadan and others.

Early Notables of the Maddigan family

Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Maddigan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maddigan migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Maddigan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Paul Maddigan, aged 26, who landed in Maryland in 1813 5

Maddigan migration to Australia +

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

Maddigan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Michael Maddigan, (b. 1800), aged 28, Irish ploughman who was convicted in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland for 7 years for manslaughter, transported aboard the "Borodino" on 11th February 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Timothy Maddigan, aged 21, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Adelaide" 7

Maddigan 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:

Maddigan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Patrick Maddigan, aged 34, a farm labourer, who arrived in Westland aboard the ship "Gainsborough" in 1878 8
James Maddigan, aged 28, who arrived in Westland aboard the ship "Gainsborough" in 1878 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Maddigan (post 1700) +

Judith Marilyn Maddigan (b. 1948), née Todd, Australian politician, Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly (2003-2005), the first woman Speaker of the Legislative Assembly

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
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 27th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Borodino
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ADELAIDE 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/adelaide1852.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 3rd November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html