Show ContentsO'Hinneghen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Throughout history, very few Irish surnames have exclusively maintained their original forms. Before being translated into English, O'Hinneghen appeared as Ó Dubhain, where the name means a "dark complexioned man." 1

Early Origins of the O'Hinneghen family

The surname O'Hinneghen was first found in County Clare, County Limerick and Sligo (Irish: Sligeach), in the province of Connacht in Northwestern Ireland. Some of the County Clare families were thought to have been regionally in County Cork. 2

O'Hart notes the family claims descent to the Heber line of ancient Irish kings through the O'Hara line. 1

Early History of the O'Hinneghen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Hinneghen research. Another 190 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1549, 1612, 1628, 1675, 1679, 1717, 1720, 1724, 1727 and 1735 are included under the topic Early O'Hinneghen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Hinneghen Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name O'Hinneghen revealed spelling variations, including Downs, Down, Downe, Downes and others.

Early Notables of the O'Hinneghen family

Notable among the family name at this time was William Ducie (c. 1612-1679), created 1st Viscount Downe in 1675; Andrew Downes, also known as Dounaeus, (c.1549-1628), English classical scholar, one of the seven translators of the...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early O'Hinneghen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the O'Hinneghen family

A 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 O'Hinneghen name: Jane Downe who settled in Jamaica in 1685; John Downe settled in Barbados in 1685; another John Downe settled in Virginia in 1670; Robert Downe settled in St. Christopher in 1635.



  1. O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
  2. MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)


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