Meenan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The original Gaelic form of Meenan was Ó Mainnin.

Early Origins of the Meenan family

The surname Meenan was first found in County Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island.

Early History of the Meenan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Meenan research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Meenan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Meenan Spelling Variations

Names written in official documents were generally spelt as they sounded, leading to the problem of one name being recorded under several different variations, creating the illusion in records of more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname Meenan that are preserved in documents of the family history are Mannion, O'Mannin, O'Mannion, Mannyan, Mennon and many more.

Early Notables of the Meenan family

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

Meenan migration to the United States +

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish migrating out of their homeland in a great measure due to the oppressive imperial policies of the English government and landowners. Many of these Irish families sailed to North America aboard overcrowded passenger ships. By far, the largest influx of Irish immigrants to North America occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These particular immigrants were instrumental in creation of the United States and Canada as major industrial nations because the many essential elements such as the roadways, canals, bridges, and railways required an enormous quantity of cheap labor, which these poor immigrants provided. Later generations of Irish in these countries also went on to make valuable contributions in such fields as the arts, commerce, politics, and education. Extensive research into immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Meenan:

Meenan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Meenan, aged 19, who landed in New York in 1854 1
James Meenan, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1866 1
Daniel Meenan, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1872 1
John Meenan, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1887 1

Meenan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Meenan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Kitty Meenan, aged 20, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "John & Mary" from Belfast, Ireland
Miss. Ann Meenan, aged 1 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "John Munn" departing 16th June 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 13th August 1847 but she died on board 2
Miss. Judith Meenan who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Champion" departing 13th July 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 28th August 1847 but she died on board 2

Meenan 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:

Meenan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Meenan, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Stracathro" in 1881
Ellen Meenan, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rangitikei" in 1884
Ellen Meenan, aged 27, a housemaid, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rangitikei" in 1884

Contemporary Notables of the name Meenan (post 1700) +

Sean Meenan, American entrepreneur who conceived and owns Cafe Habana in New York
Patrick Meenan (1917-2008), Irish President of the Irish Medical Council and Dean of the faculty of medicine in University College Dublin
Charles Meenan, Irish jurist, Judge of the High Court (2017-)

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)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 89)