Hanagan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Irish families left their homeland in astonishing numbers during the 19th century in search of a better life. Although individual reasons vary, most of these Irish families suffered from extreme poverty, lack of work opportunities, and exorbitant rents in their homeland. Many decided to travel to Australia or North America in the hopes of finding greater opportunities and land. The Irish immigrants that came to North America initially settled on the East Coast, often in major centers such as Boston or New York. But like the many other cultures to settle in North America, the Irish traveled to almost any region they felt held greater promise; as a result, many Irish with gold fever moved all the way out to the Pacific coast. Others before that time left for land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula, or the Maritimes as United Empire Loyalists, for many Irish did choose to side with the English during the American War of Independence. The earliest wave of Irish migration, however, occurred during the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has revealed many people bearing the Hanagan name:

Hanagan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Denis Hanagan, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 3
• Hugh Hanagan, aged 35, who arrived in Ohio in 1813 3
• Peter Hanagan, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1833 3
• J Hanagan, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 3

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hanagan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

• Brien Hanagan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1823

Hanagan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

• Mr. John Hanagan, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Simlah" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1851 4
• James Hanagan, aged 21, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Earl Granville" in 1880