McGeown History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Hundreds of years ago, the Gaelic name used by the McGeown family in Ireland was Mac Eogain in Connacht, and Mac Eoin in east Ulster. Both of these names connote a "son of John," or "son of Owen." 1

Early Origins of the McGeown family

The surname McGeown was first found in County Sligo (Irish: Sligeach), in the province of Connacht in Northwestern Ireland, where the first people to use this surname are thought to have originated. Soon thereafter, the name was also found in neighboring Leitrim.

Early History of the McGeown family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McGeown research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McGeown History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McGeown Spelling Variations

Just like the English language, the Gaelic language of Ireland was not standardized in the Middle Ages. Therefore, one's name was often recorded under several different spellings during the life of its bearer. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origins of the McGeown family name include Keon, MacKeon, MacKeown, MacKewan, MacKoun, MacWing, Hone, MacOwen, Mageown and many more.

Early Notables of the McGeown family

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

McGeown 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:

McGeown Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Arthur McGeown, aged 32, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blairgowrie" in 1875
Eliza McGeown, aged 30, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blairgowrie" in 1875
Mary McGeown, aged 8, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blairgowrie" in 1875
Bernard McGeown, aged 4, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blairgowrie" in 1875
John McGeown, aged 2, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blairgowrie" in 1875
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McGeown (post 1700) +

John P. McGeown, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Pennsylvania State House of Representatives from Allegheny County 17th District, 1960 2
Pat "Beag" McGeown (1956-1996), Irish volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army who took part in the 1981 Irish hunger strike
Shane McGeown, Northern Irish football midfielder
Mark McGeown (b. 1970), former Scottish footballer from Paisley, Scotland

Citations +

Moore, A.W., Manx Names. London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1906. Print
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html