Hernett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Etymology of Hernett

The Gaelic name used by the Hernett family in ancient Ireland was Ó hAthairne, which is possibly derived from the word athardha, which means paternal. 1

Early Origins of the Hernett family

Early History of the Hernett family

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

Hernett Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland in the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. The many regional dialects and the predominate illiteracy would have made common surnames appear unrelated to the scribes of the period. Research into the name Hernett revealed spelling variations, including Harney, Hartney, O'Harney, Hartney, Harnedy, Harnet, Harnett, Hartnet, Hartnett, Haherny and many more.

Early Notables of the Hernett family

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

Migration of the Hernett family

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish migrating out of their homeland in a great measure due to the oppressive imperial policies of the English government and landowners. Many of these Irish families sailed to North America aboard overcrowded passenger ships. By far, the largest influx of Irish immigrants to North America occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These particular immigrants were instrumental in creation of the United States and Canada as major industrial nations because the many essential elements such as the roadways, canals, bridges, and railways required an enormous quantity of cheap labor, which these poor immigrants provided. Later generations of Irish in these countries also went on to make valuable contributions in such fields as the arts, commerce, politics, and education. Extensive research into immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Hernett: Edward Harnet settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1640; and he was reported from "suffering from favouring the Quakers"; James, Ann, John, Patrick and William Harnet all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.