Meekan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the Meekan family

Early History of the Meekan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Meekan research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Meekan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Meekan Spelling Variations

The spelling of one's surname was not as important as it is today. Names were recorded as they sounded and in many cases, one's surname changed with each listing. As a result, surnames often had many spelling variations. For Meekan some of these variations included: O'Meehan, Meighan, MacMeehan, MacMeekin, MacMeekan,MacMehan, MacMehon and many more.

Early Notables of the Meekan family

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

Migration of the Meekan family

Irish families fled the English-colonized Ireland in record numbers during the 19th century for North America. Many of those destitute families died from disease during, and even shortly after, the long journey. Although those that immigrated before the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s often were granted a tract of land, those that arrived later were generally accommodated in urban centers or in work camps. Those in the urban centers would labor in the manufacturing sector, whereas those in work camps would to build critical infrastructures such as bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Regardless of when these Irish immigrants came to North America, they were critical for the rapid development of the young nations of the United States and Canada. Early immigration and passenger lists have recorded many early immigrants bearing the name of Meekan: Owen McMehan, who settled in Philadelphia in 1845; Juda and Felix McMean settled in Boston in 1768.