McGeehin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the McGeehin family

Early History of the McGeehin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McGeehin research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McGeehin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McGeehin Spelling Variations

Within the archives researched, many different spelling variations of the surname McGeehin were found. These included One reason for the many variations is that scribes and church officials often spelled an individual's name as it sounded. This imprecise method often led to many versions. Keon, MacKeon, MacKeown, MacKewan, MacKoun, MacWing, Hone, MacOwen, Mageown and many more.

Early Notables of the McGeehin family

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

Migration of the McGeehin family

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish families leaving Ireland for the distant shores of North America and Australia. These families often left their homeland hungry, penniless, and destitute due to the policies of England. Those Irish immigrants that survived the long sea passage initially settled on the eastern seaboard of the continent. Some, however, moved north to a then infant Canada as United Empire Loyalists after ironically serving with the English in the American War of Independence. Others that remained in America later joined the westward migration in search of land. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, though, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America, and those who arrived were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. In fact, the foundations of today's powerful nations of the United States and Canada were to a larger degree built by the Irish. Archival documents indicate that members of the McGeehin family relocated to North American shores quite early: Samuel and William Keown, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1840 and 1855; James and Thomas Keon arrived in Philadelphia between 1860 and 1877..