Herdegen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Herdegen

What does the name Herdegen mean?

The spelling and overall form of Irish names tend to vary widely over time. The original Gaelic form of the name Herdegen is Ó hArtigain, which connotes a descendant of Art. (O'Hart)

Early Origins of the Herdegen family

The surname Herdegen was first found in counties Clare and Limerick (Irish: Luimneach) located in Southwestern Ireland, in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from ancient times. 1

One of the first records of the family was of Cineth O'Hartigan (died 975), an Irish poet from the north of Ireland, perhaps best known for his "Dinnsenchus," a work which relates the legendary history of the duns, lakes, plains and mountains of Ireland. It gives a prose account of each place, followed by an account in verse. 2

Early History of the Herdegen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Herdegen research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Herdegen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herdegen Spelling Variations

Irish names recorded during the Middle Ages are characterized by many spelling variations. This preponderance of variations for common names can be explained by the fact that the scribes and church officials that kept records during that period individually decided how to capture one's name. These recorders primarily based their decisions on how the name was pronounced or what it meant. Research into the name Herdegen revealed many variations, including Hartigan, O'Hartigan, Hartagan, Hartegan, Hartigon, Hartagon and many more.

Early Notables of the Herdegen family

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

Migration of the Herdegen family

Irish immigrants began to leave the English-controlled Ireland in sizable numbers during the late 18th century. Many of these Irish immigrated to British North America or the United States in the hopes of gaining their own tract of farmland. This pattern of migration grew steadily until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine caused a great exodus of immigrants to North America. These immigrants differed from their predecessors in that they were desperately fleeing the disease and starvation that plagued their homeland, and many were entirely destitute when they arrived in North America. Although these penniless immigrants were not warmly welcomed when they arrived, they were critical to the rapid development of the United States and what would become known as Canada. Many went to populate the western frontiers and others provided the cheap labor the new manufacturing sector and the building of bridges, roads, railways, and canals required. A thorough examination of immigration and passenger lists has revealed some of the earliest people to arrive in North America with name Herdegen or one of its variants: James, Michael, Patrick and Thomas Hartigan arrived in Canada in 1839; Michael Hartigan arrived in Baltimore with his wife and five children in 1820. In Newfoundland, Denis settled in St. John'.

Sources +

MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print