MacKenraght History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Etymology of MacKenraght

The Irish name MacKenraght has a long Gaelic heritage to its credit. The MacKenraght surname is derived from the Gaelic Mac Ionnrachtaigh, derived from either the word "ionnrachtach," which means "lawful," or a form of the word "indrecht," which means "attack." 1

Early Origins of the MacKenraght family

Early History of the MacKenraght family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacKenraght research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1107, 1172, 1583 and 1585 are included under the topic Early MacKenraght History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacKenraght Spelling Variations

People who were accounted for by scribes and church officials often had their name recorded many different ways because pronunciation was the only guide those scribes and church officials had to go by. This resulted in the problem of one person's name being recorded under several different variations, creating the illusion of more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname MacKenraght that are preserved in archival documents are Enright, Enraghty, Enratty, Hanraghty, Hanratty, MacKenraght, MacEnraghty, Kenraghty, Kenratty, O'Hanraghty, O'Hanratty, O'Hanfey and many more.

Early Notables of the MacKenraght family

Father Patrick Hanratty, Kimracha Kinrechtin, or Makenrachtus; in Irish MacIonnrachtaig, Anglicized Hanratty and Enright, an Irish priest d. 30 April, 1585, at Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. He was the son of a silversmith at Kilmallock, embraced the ecclesiastical state, studied abroad, and graduated bachelor in theology. Returning to Ireland, he became chaplain to Gerald, sixteenth Earl of Desmond, and shared the fortunes of his patron's struggle against Queen Elizabeth. In September, 1583, a fugitive with the earl, he was surprised on Sliabh Luachra by Lord Roche's gallowglasses, and handed over to the Earl of Ormond. By Ormond's command he was chained to...
Another 225 words (16 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacKenraght Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the MacKenraght family

Irish families left their homeland in astonishing numbers during the 19th century in search of a better life. Although individual reasons vary, most of these Irish families suffered from extreme poverty, lack of work opportunities, and exorbitant rents in their homeland. Many decided to travel to Australia or North America in the hopes of finding greater opportunities and land. The Irish immigrants that came to North America initially settled on the East Coast, often in major centers such as Boston or New York. But like the many other cultures to settle in North America, the Irish traveled to almost any region they felt held greater promise; as a result, many Irish with gold fever moved all the way out to the Pacific coast. Others before that time left for land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula, or the Maritimes as United Empire Loyalists, for many Irish did choose to side with the English during the American War of Independence. The earliest wave of Irish migration, however, occurred during the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has revealed many people bearing the MacKenraght name: Michael Enright who settled in New England in 1803; Patrick, Daniel and John Enright, who all settled in Pennsylvania between 1840 and 1860; Patrick Enright, who was recorded in Ottawa, Canada in 1829.