Halihan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Etymology of Halihan

The Halihan surname originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó hAilechain or Ó hAileagain.

Early Origins of the Halihan family

Early History of the Halihan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Halihan research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Halihan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Halihan Spelling Variations

Within the archives researched, many different spelling variations of the surname Halihan were found. These included One reason for the many variations is that scribes and church officials often spelled an individual's name as it sounded. This imprecise method often led to many versions. Halligan, Holligan, Hollegan, Hologhan, Hallihan and many more.

Early Notables of the Halihan family

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

Migration of the Halihan family

To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Halihan or a variant listed above, including: Elizabeth Halligan, who settled in Boston in 1849; James and Margaret Halligan settled in New York in 1820; Catherine, Daniel, Kate, Mary, and Margaret Holihan settled in Boston in 1850.