Show ContentsHaggarty History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Haggarty

What does the name Haggarty mean?

Hundreds of years ago, the Gaelic name used by the Haggarty family in Ireland was Ó hEigceartaigh, which is derived from the word eigceartach, which means unjust. 1

Early Origins of the Haggarty family

The surname Haggarty was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Haggarty family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Haggarty research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Haggarty History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haggarty Spelling Variations

Pronunciation, rather than spelling, guided scribes and church officials when recording names during the Middle Ages. This practice often resulted in one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Haggarty are preserved in these old documents. The various spellings of the name that were found include Haggarty, Haggerty, Hagarty, Hagherty, Haggety, Hagerty, Hegarty, O'Haggarty and many more.

Early Notables of the Haggarty family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was

  • Haggarty of Munster


Haggarty migration to Australia +

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

Haggarty Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • John Haggarty, aged 22, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke Of Wellington" in 1849 2
  • Margaret Haggarty, aged 18, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Elgin" in 1849 3

Haggarty 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:

Haggarty Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Henry Haggarty, (b. 1834), aged 28, British carpenter travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 4
  • Mrs. Eliza Haggarty, (b. 1838), aged 24, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 4
  • Mr. William Henry Haggarty, (b. 1855), aged 7, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 4
  • Mr. Richard Haggarty, (b. 1856), aged 6, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 4
  • Mr. Henry Haggarty, (b. 1858), aged 4, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Haggarty (post 1700) +

  • George Sylvester Haggarty (1902-1971), American basketball and baseball player
  • Cornelius Haggarty Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1928 5
  • James Timothy "Jimmy" Haggarty (1914-1998), Canadian silver medalist ice hockey player at the 1936 Winter Olympics


The Haggarty Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Nec flectitur nec mutant
Motto Translation: They neither bend nor change.


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The DUKE OF WELLINGTON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Duke%20of%20Wellington.htm
  3. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ELGIN 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Elgin.htm
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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