| {{ad}} |
|
|
|
| Origins Available: |
| | Ireland |
The many Irish surnames in use today have long rich histories behind them. The name McEnany originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac an Airchinnigh, which means son of the erenagh. The word erenagh refers to a steward of church lands. This was originally an ecclesiastical task, but was later performed by laymen, becoming a hereditary trade. 1
The surname McEnany was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where the MacInerny variant prevails.
The McEneany variant is "the name of two septs. That Co. Roscommon is almost extinct; that of Oriel is numerous under many variants. A study of this name which appeared in the Clogher Record (1960) presents evidence (which I have verified elsewhere) to prove that its Irish form is not the generally accepted Mac Conaonaigh but Mac an Dhéaghanaigh, earlier Mac an Déaganaigh." 1
"MacAneany, also written MacEneany and sometimes MacNeany, was changed to Bird by some families in County Monaghan, Louth and Meath." 2
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McEnany research. Another 214 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1365, 1393, 1398 and 1659 are included under the topic Early McEnany History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
One explanation for the many variations is that scribes and church officials frequently spelled the name as it sounded: an imprecise method at best. Understandably then, various spellings of the surname McEnany were found in the many archives researched. These included MacInerny, MacInerney, Nerney, Kinnerk, Nerheny, Nertney, Nirney, McNertney, MacNertney, MacNerney and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early McEnany Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Irish immigrants began to leave the English-controlled Ireland in sizable numbers during the late 18th century. Many of these Irish immigrated to British North America or the United States in the hopes of gaining their own tract of farmland. This pattern of migration grew steadily until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine caused a great exodus of immigrants to North America. These immigrants differed from their predecessors in that they were desperately fleeing the disease and starvation that plagued their homeland, and many were entirely destitute when they arrived in North America. Although these penniless immigrants were not warmly welcomed when they arrived, they were critical to the rapid development of the United States and what would become known as Canada. Many went to populate the western frontiers and others provided the cheap labor the new manufacturing sector and the building of bridges, roads, railways, and canals required. A thorough examination of immigration and passenger lists has revealed some of the earliest people to arrive in North America with name McEnany or one of its variants: