O regan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Ireland 


Irish surnames are linked to the long Gaelic heritage of the Island nation. The original Gaelic form of the name O regan is Ó Riagain. In County Waterford, the Gaelic form Ó Reagain is used.

Early Origins of the O regan family

The surname O regan was first found in County Meath (Irish: An Mhí) anciently part of the kingdom of Brega, located in Eastern Ireland, in the province of Leinster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

One of the oldest records of the family was Morice Regan (fl. 1171), an Irish interpreter. He is stated in an old French poem, of which the only text begins 'Par soen demeine latimer.' He is thought to have acted as an interpreter and herald, or envoy in the service of Diarmaid MacMurchada, King of Leinster. 1

Early History of the O regan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O regan research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early O regan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O regan Spelling Variations

Official documents, crafted by early scribes and church officials, primarily contained names that were spelled according to their pronunciation. This lead to the problem of one name being recorded under several different variations, creating an illusion that a single person was many people. Among the many spelling variations of the surname O regan that are preserved in the archival documents of the time are Reagan, Regan, O'Regan, O'Reagan and others.

Early Notables of the O regan family

More information is included under the topic Early O regan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


O regan migration to the United States +

In the 18th and 19th centuries hundreds of thousands of Irish people immigrated to North American shores. The early settlers were enticed by the promise of their own land, but they were moderately well off in Ireland when they decided to emigrate. Therefore, they were merely carrying out a long and carefully thought out decision. The 1840s saw the emergence of a very different trend: thousands of extremely desperate people crammed into passenger boats hoping to find any type of opportunity. The Irish of this decade had seen their homeland severely stricken by crop failures which resulted in widespread disease and starvation. At whatever time the Irish immigrants came to North America, they were instrumental in the rapid development of the emerging nations of the United States and what would become known as Canada. An exhaustive search of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many persons bearing the name O regan, or one of its variants:

O regan Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
O regan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
O regan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

O regan migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

O regan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

O regan migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

O regan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name O regan (post 1700) +
Fastest Delivery Possible

Digital Products on Checkout, all other products filled in 1 business day

Money Back Guarantee

Yes, all products 100% Guraranteed

BBB A+ Rating

The Best Rating possible

Secure Online Payment

Entire site uses SSL / Secure Certificate