| ![Show Contents]() MacKeough History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Ireland The surname MacKeough originally appeared in Gaelic as "O hEochaidh" or "Mac Eochaidh," derived from an Irish personal name "Eachaidh," meaning a "horseman." Early Origins of the MacKeough familyThe surname MacKeough was first found in Tipperary (Irish: Thiobraid Árann), established in the 13th century in South-central Ireland, in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from ancient times at Ballymackeogh, and were descended from the MacKeoghs who in turn were descended from their eponymous ancestor Eochaidh O'Kelly one of the ancient Kings of Ui Maine. Early History of the MacKeough familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacKeough research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1534, 1653, 1725, 1798, 1828 and 1893 are included under the topic Early MacKeough History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. MacKeough Spelling VariationsNames from the Middle Ages demonstrate many spelling variations. This is because the recording scribe or church official often decided as to how a person's name was spelt and in what language. Research into the name MacKeough revealed many variations, including Hoey, O'Hoey, Hoy, Hue, Kehoe, Keogh, MacKeogh and many more. Early Notables of the MacKeough familyAnother 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacKeough Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the MacKeough familyTo escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name MacKeough or a variant listed above, including: James Hoey who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1772; followed by William Hoey in 1803; Charles, Dennis, John, Michael, Thomas and William Hoey, all settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1840 and 1877.
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