Megand History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe surname Megand originally appeared in Gaelic as "O Miadhachain," which is derived from the word miadhach, meaning honorable. 1 Early Origins of the Megand familyThe surname Megand was first found in County Leitrim (Irish: Liatroim) anciently the western half of the kingdom of Breifne, located in Northeastern Ireland, in Leinster province, Originally, "Ó Miadhacháin, this is the name of at least two distinct septs; it is now equally distributed throughout the four provinces." 2 Early History of the Megand familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Megand research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Megand History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Megand Spelling VariationsMany spelling variations of the surname Megand can be found in the archives. One reason for these variations is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. The different spellings that were 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 Megand familyMore information is included under the topic Early Megand Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Megand familyA great mass of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century, seeking relief from various forms of social, religious, and economic discrimination. This Irish exodus was primarily to North America. If the migrants survived the long ocean journey, many unfortunately would find more discrimination in the colonies of British North America and the fledgling United States of America. These newly arrived Irish were, however, wanted as a cheap source of labor for the many large agricultural and industrial projects that were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the western world. Early immigration and passenger lists indicate many people bearing the Megand name: 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.
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