Show ContentsMcGeoghegan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The original Gaelic form of the McGeoghegan surname is Mag Eochagain, a patronymic derived from the personal name Eochaidh.

Early Origins of the McGeoghegan family

The surname McGeoghegan was first found in the county of Westmeath (Irish: An Iarmhí) in the Irish Midlands, province of Leinster, in the barony of Moycashel at Kilbeggan where they held a family seat from ancient times. Traditionally, the McGeoghegans are said to descend from Fiacha, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages.

Early History of the McGeoghegan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McGeoghegan research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1186, 1291, 1580, 1600, 1603, 1650, 1689, 1702, 1749, 1763 and 1800 are included under the topic Early McGeoghegan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McGeoghegan Spelling Variations

Because early scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded, a person could have many various spellings of his name.Many different spelling variations of the surname McGeoghegan were found in the archives researched. These included Geoghegan, Gagahan, Gahagan, Gahaghan, Gaghan, Gegan, MacGeoghegan, Geohan and many more.

Early Notables of the McGeoghegan family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was Conal MacGeoghegan (circa 1580-1650) Chief of the sept MacGeoghegan, historian who translated the Annals of Clonmacnoise; James MacGeoghegan (1702-1763) of Westmeath, an ordained priest in Paris, who wrote a "History of Ireland;" and Edward Geoghegan of Dublin was one of the most eminent surgeons of his time (early 1800s).Usher Gagahan (d. 1749), was an Irish classical scholar, belonged to a good family of Westmeath, Ireland; was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, but took...
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McGeoghegan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McGeoghegan family

Thousands of Irish left in their homeland in the 18th and 19th centuries to escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, and in the search of a plot of land to call their own. These immigrants arrived at the eastern shores of North America, early on settling and breaking the land, and, later, building the bridges, canals, and railroads essential to the emerging nations of United States and Canada. Many others would toil for low wages in the dangerous factories of the day. Although there had been a steady migration of Irish to North America over these years, the greatest influx of Irish immigrants came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name McGeoghegan or a variant listed above: Michael Geoghegan, a Scotch-Irish who arrived in Boston in 1737; Edward Geoghegan, who came to Philadelphia in 1741; John McGeogh, who arrived in America in 1742.


Contemporary Notables of the name McGeoghegan (post 1700) +

  • Eileen McGeoghegan, American politician, Member of the Missouri House of Representatives (2011-)
  • Charlie McGeoghegan (b. 1974), Canadian politician, MLA for Belfast-Murray River, Prince Edward Island (2007-)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook