Behend History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Etymology of Behend

The Irish name Behend comes from the Gaelic name Ó Beachain, possibly derived from the word "beach," which means "bee." It was also an Anglicized version of the Gaelic personal name Beathán, from "beatha," meaning "life." 1

Early Origins of the Behend family

Early History of the Behend family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Behend research. Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Behend History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Behend Spelling Variations

The spelling of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was rarely consistent. This inconsistency was due to the scribes and church officials' attempts to record orally defined names in writing. The common practice of recording names as they sounded resulted in spelling variations such as Behan, Beehan, Beaghan, O'Behan, Beehan, Beagan, O'Beaghan, O'Behen, Behen and many more.

Early Notables of the Behend family

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

Migration of the Behend family

Many destitute Irish families in the 18th and 19th centuries decided to leave their homeland, which had in many ways been scarred by English colonial rule. One of the most frequent destinations for these families was North America where it was possible for an Irish family to own their own parcel of land. Many of the early settlers did find land awaiting them in British North America, or even later in America, but for the majority of immigrants that arrived as a result of the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s the ownership of land was often a long way off. These Irish people were initially put to work on such industrial projects as the building of bridges, canals, and railroads, or they worked at manufacturing positions within factories. Whenever they arrived, the Irish made enormous contributions to the infant nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the earliest immigrants to bearer the name of Behend were found through extensive research of immigration and passenger lists: James Behan who arrived in New York City in 1822; Henry Behan settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1854; Michael Beehan settled in Philadelphia in 1868.