Gagaham History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of GagahamWhat does the name Gagaham mean? The original Gaelic form of the Gagaham surname is Mag Eochagain, a patronymic derived from the personal name Eochaidh. Early Origins of the Gagaham familyThe surname Gagaham was first found in the county of Westmeath (Irish: An Iarmhí) in the Irish Midlands, province of Leinster, in the barony of Moycashel at Kilbeggan where they held a family seat from ancient times. Traditionally, the Gagahams are said to descend from Fiacha, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages. Early History of the Gagaham familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gagaham research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1186, 1291, 1580, 1600, 1603, 1650, 1689, 1702, 1749, 1763 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Gagaham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gagaham Spelling VariationsThe archives that survive today demonstrate the difficulty experienced by the scribes of this period in their attempts to record these names in writing. Spelling variations of the name Gagaham dating from that time include Geoghegan, Gagahan, Gahagan, Gahaghan, Gaghan, Gegan, MacGeoghegan, Geohan and many more. Early Notables of the Gagaham familyProminent amongst the family at this time was Conal MacGeoghegan (circa 1580-1650) Chief of the sept MacGeoghegan, historian who translated the Annals of Clonmacnoise; James MacGeoghegan (1702-1763) of Westmeath, an ordained priest in Paris, who wrote a "History of Ireland;" and Edward Geoghegan of Dublin was one of the most eminent surgeons of his time (early 1800s).
Usher Gagahan (d. 1749), was an Irish classical scholar, belonged to a good family of Westmeath, Ireland; was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, but took... Migration of the Gagaham familyThe 18th century saw the slow yet steady emigration of Irish families to British North America and the United States. Those early Irish settlers that left their homeland were typically moderately well off: they were enticed by the promise of a sizable plot of land. However, by the 1840s, this pattern of immigration was gone: immigrants to North America were seeking refuge from the starvation and disease that the Great Potato Famine of that decade brought. The great numbers of Irish that arrived to the United States and the soon to be Canada were instrumental in their quick development as powerful industrial nations. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists uncovered many early immigrants bearing the name Gagaham: Michael Geoghegan, a Scotch-Irish who arrived in Boston in 1737; Edward Geoghegan, who came to Philadelphia in 1741; John McGeogh, who arrived in America in 1742.
|