Show ContentsHenessey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Today's Irish surnames are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Henessey originally appeared in Gaelic as O hAonghusa, which means "descendant of Angus."

Early Origins of the Henessey family

The surname Henessey was first found in County Offaly (Irish: Uíbh Fháilí) originally the Kingdom of Uí Failghe, located in central Ireland in the Province of Leinster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Henessey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Henessey research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Henessey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Henessey Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name Henessey revealed spelling variations, including Hennessey, Henasey, Henasay, Henchy, Henchey, Henchie, Hinchy, Hinchey, Hinchie, Henesey, Henessy, Henesy, Hennesey and many more.

Early Notables of the Henessey family (pre 1700)

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


United States Henessey migration to the United States +

Death and immigration greatly reduced Ireland's population in the 19th century. For the native Irish people poverty, hunger, and racial prejudice was common. Therefore, thousands left their homeland to seek opportunity in North America. Those who survived the journey and the quarantine camps to which they arrived, were instrumental towards building the strong developing nations of the United States and the future Canada. By far, the largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These were employed as construction or factory workers. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has shown early immigrants bearing the name Henessey:

Henessey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Elizabeth Henessey, aged 26, who landed in New York in 1854 [1]
  • William Henessey, who arrived in New York in 1854 [1]
  • B Henessey, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1855 [1]

Australia Henessey migration to Australia +

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

Henessey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Henessey, English convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for life , transported aboard the "China" on 88th January 1846, arriving in Norfolk Island, Australia [2]


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  2. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 5th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/china


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