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| Origins Available: |
| | Ireland |
The original Gaelic form of the name Kernohan is Ó Cearnachain, which is derived from the word "cearnach," which means "victorious." 1
The surname Kernohan was first found in County Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland in the province of Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel, where they held a family seat from ancient times.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kernohan research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Kernohan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The search for the origins of the name Kernohan family name revealed numerous spelling variations. These variants can be somewhat accounted for when it is realized that before widespread literacy people only recognized their name by pronunciation; it was up to scribes to decide how it was to be formally recorded. Variations found include Kernahan, Kernaghan, Carnahan, Carnaghan and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Kernohan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The 18th century saw the slow yet steady emigration of Irish families to British North America and the United States. Those early Irish settlers that left their homeland were typically moderately well off: they were enticed by the promise of a sizable plot of land. However, by the 1840s, this pattern of immigration was gone: immigrants to North America were seeking refuge from the starvation and disease that the Great Potato Famine of that decade brought. The great numbers of Irish that arrived to the United States and the soon to be Canada were instrumental in their quick development as powerful industrial nations. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists uncovered many early immigrants bearing the name Kernohan: