Show ContentsCanally History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The original Gaelic form of Canally was Mac an Fhailghigh, which is derived from the word failgheach, which means poor man.

Early Origins of the Canally family

The surname Canally was first found in counties Armagh and Monaghan (Irish: Muineachán) located in the Northern part of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Ulster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Canally family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Canally research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1653, 1680 and 1697 are included under the topic Early Canally History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Canally Spelling Variations

Irish names were rarely spelled consistently in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations of the name Canally dating from that time include McNally, McAnully, McAnalley, McAnally and others.

Early Notables of the Canally family

Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Canally Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Canally family

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish families leaving Ireland for the distant shores of North America and Australia. These families often left their homeland hungry, penniless, and destitute due to the policies of England. Those Irish immigrants that survived the long sea passage initially settled on the eastern seaboard of the continent. Some, however, moved north to a then infant Canada as United Empire Loyalists after ironically serving with the English in the American War of Independence. Others that remained in America later joined the westward migration in search of land. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, though, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America, and those who arrived were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. In fact, the foundations of today's powerful nations of the United States and Canada were to a larger degree built by the Irish. Archival documents indicate that members of the Canally family relocated to North American shores quite early: Bernard, Biddy, Charles, George, Henry John, Michal, Patrick, Thomas and William McNally all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860; Daniel, Francis and Patrick McAnully all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.



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