Meend History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the Meend family

Early History of the Meend family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Meend research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Meend History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Meend Spelling Variations

Before widespread literacy came to Ireland, a name was often recorded under several different variations during the life of its bearer. Accordingly, numerous spelling variations were revealed in the search for the origin of the name Meend family name. Variations found include Meighan, Meehan, Meegin, Meeghen, Meegan, Meakin, Meakins, Mekins, Mehan, Mehen, Mehigan, Mehegan, O'Meighan, O'Meehan and many more.

Early Notables of the Meend family

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

Migration of the Meend family

To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. 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 Meend or a variant listed above, including: Thomas Mehegan, who settled in San Francisco in 1850; Daniel and Betsy Mehen settled in Boston in 1849; along with John, Laurence, Mathew and Hugh; John (3) Meighan arrived in Philadelphia in 1845.