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