Gennis History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsWhile many of Irish names are quite familiar to most, their original Gaelic forms are often forgotten and mysterious. The original Gaelic form of the name Gennis is Mag Aonghusa or Mag Aonghuis, which mean "son of Angus." 1 Early Origins of the Gennis familyThe surname Gennis was first found in County Down (Irish:An Dún) part of the Province of Ulster, in Northern Ireland, formerly known as county St Mirren, where they held a family seat from ancient times. Early History of the Gennis familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gennis research. Another 140 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1539, 1543, 1584, 1640, 1703, 1759, 1797, 1798 and 1868 are included under the topic Early Gennis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gennis Spelling VariationsThe scribes and church officials of the Middle Ages who recorded names in official documents spelled the names as they sounded. This led to the problem of one name being recorded under several different variations and thus resembling more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname Gennis that are preserved in archival documents of this era include Genis, Guinness, Magennis, Guinnessy, McGuinness and many more. Early Notables of the Gennis familyProminent amongst the family at this time was
Migration of the Gennis familyIreland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the late 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape such hunger and disease. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Gennis: John Guinnessy, who settled in New York in 1849; William Guinnes who settled in Barbados in 1663; Pat and Mary Guinnessy who settled in Quebec with their ten children in 1849..
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