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| Origins Available: |
| | Ireland |
The surname McKeogh originally appeared in Gaelic as "O hEochaidh" or "Mac Eochaidh," derived from an Irish personal name "Eachaidh," meaning a "horseman."
The surname McKeogh was first found in Tipperary (Irish: Thiobraid Árann), established in the 13th century in South-central Ireland, in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from ancient times at Ballymackeogh, and were descended from the MacKeoghs who in turn were descended from their eponymous ancestor Eochaidh O'Kelly one of the ancient Kings of Ui Maine.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKeogh research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1534, 1653, 1725, 1798, 1828 and 1893 are included under the topic Early McKeogh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period because the general population had to rely on local official's understanding of how their name should be spelt, hence spellings in records often changed through a person's lifetime. The following variations for the name McKeogh were encountered in the archives: Hoey, O'Hoey, Hoy, Hue, Kehoe, Keogh, MacKeogh and many more.
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McKeogh Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Ireland became inhospitable for many native Irish families in the 19th centuries. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high rents, and discrimination forced thousands to leave the island for North America. The largest exodus of Irish settlers occurred with the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. For these immigrants the journey to British North America and the United States was long and dangerous and many did not live to see the shores of those new lands. Those who did make it were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest and most powerful nations of the world. These Irish immigrants were not only important for peopling the new settlements and cities, they also provided the manpower needed for the many industrial and agricultural projects so essential to these growing nations. Immigration and passenger lists have documented the arrival of various people bearing the name McKeogh to North America: