Show ContentsLanagan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Norman Conquest of Ireland lead by Strongbow introduced the first non-Gaelic elements into Irish nomenclature. These Anglo-Normans brought some traditions to Ireland that were not readily found within Gaelic system of hereditary surnames. One of the best examples of this is the local surname. Local surnames, such as Lanagan, were taken from the name of a place or a geographical feature where the person lived, held land, or was born. These surnames were very common in England, but were almost non-existent within Ireland previous to the conquest. Originally, these place names were prefixed by "de," which means "from" in French. This type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or was eliminated entirely. The Lanagan family originally lived in the settlement of Llanaghan, which is in the Welsh county of Brecon.

Early Origins of the Lanagan family

The surname Lanagan was first found in County Roscommon (Irish: Ros Comáin) located in central Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they were granted lands by Strongbow after his invasion of Ireland in 1172.

Early History of the Lanagan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lanagan research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1249 is included under the topic Early Lanagan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lanagan Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes and church officials spelled the names as they sounded, so a name was often spelled many different ways during the lifetime of a single person. The investigation of the origin of the name Lanagan revealed many spelling variations including Lanigan, Lanahan, Lenaghan, Lanaghan, Linehan and many more.

Early Notables of the Lanagan family

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


United States Lanagan migration to the United States +

Ireland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape the horrific conditions. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Lanagan:

Lanagan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Cornelius, Biddy and George Lanagan, who all, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1828
  • Brid. Lanagan, aged 29, who settled in America from Dublin, in 1892
  • Thomas Lanagan, aged 20, who landed in America, in 1893
  • James Lanagan, aged 45, who settled in America, in 1894
  • Hannah E. Lanagan, aged 48, who immigrated to the United States, in 1895
Lanagan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Thomas J. Lanagan, aged 34, who immigrated to America, in 1908
  • Mary Lanagan, aged 58, who immigrated to the United States, in 1911
  • Clifford Lanagan, aged 31, who landed in America, in 1919

Canada Lanagan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lanagan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Michael Lanagan, who settled in Newfoundland in 1814 1
  • Fanny Lanagan, aged 25, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Trial" in 1833

Contemporary Notables of the name Lanagan (post 1700) +

  • James Francis "Jimmy" Lanagan (1879-1937), American football, rugby, and baseball coach at Stanford University
  • Margo Lanagan (b. 1960), Australian writer of short stories and young adult fiction


The Lanagan Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Patriae infelici fidelis
Motto Translation: Faithful to an unhappy country.


  1. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0


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