Show ContentsManghyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

All Irish surnames have a unique and often romantic meaning. The name Manghyn originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Mongain, which is derived from the word mongach, which means hairy. 1

Early Origins of the Manghyn family

The surname Manghyn was first found in Connacht (Irish: Connachta, (land of the) descendants of Conn), where they held a family seat and styled as one of the Irish Clanns who were descendants of King Niall of the Nine Hostages. They were descended through Eochy Moyvane, to Niall Mor, his son, the great Niall of the Nine Hostages. Descended was O'Mongain the great chief of the Mangans whose territories included branches in Mayo, Connacht, Cork and Limerick.

Early History of the Manghyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Manghyn research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1772, 1803 and 1852 are included under the topic Early Manghyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Manghyn Spelling Variations

The archives that survive today demonstrate the difficulty experienced by the scribes of the Middle Ages in their attempts to record these names in writing. Spelling variations of the name Manghyn dating from that time include Ó Mongain (Gaelic), Mangan, Mongan, Mongin, Mungan, Mungen, Mongun, O'Mongan, O'Mongin, O'Mungen, O'Mongun, O'Mongun, O'Mangan and many more.

Early Notables of the Manghyn family

More information is included under the topic Early Manghyn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Manghyn family

In the 18th and 19th centuries, thousands of Irish families fled an Ireland that was forcibly held through by England through its imperialistic policies. A large portion of these families crossed the Atlantic to the shores of North America. The fate of these families depended on when they immigrated and the political allegiances they showed after they arrived. Settlers that arrived before the American War of Independence may have moved north to Canada at the war's conclusion as United Empire Loyalists. Such Loyalists were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Those that fought for the revolution occasionally gained the land that the fleeing Loyalist vacated. After this period, free land and an agrarian lifestyle were not so easy to come by in the East. So when seemingly innumerable Irish immigrants arrived during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s, free land for all was out of the question. These settlers were instead put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Whenever they came, Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Manghyn or a variant listed above, including: John, Mary and Judy Mangan who arrived in New York State in 1853; Francis, Henry, James, John, Michael, Patrick, Thomas, and William Mangan, all arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1826 and 1868.



  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)


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