| ![Show Contents]() Meechan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Ireland The Irish surname Meechan was originally Ó Miadhachain in Irish Gaelic, which is derived from the word "miadhach," meaning "honorable." 1 Early Origins of the Meechan familyThe surname Meechan was first found in County Leitrim (Irish: Liatroim) anciently the western half of the kingdom of Breifne, located in Northeastern Ireland, in Leinster province, where they held a family seat from ancient times. Early History of the Meechan familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Meechan research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Meechan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Meechan Spelling VariationsOfficial documents, crafted by early scribes and church officials, primarily contained names that were spelled according to their pronunciation. This lead to the problem of one name being recorded under several different variations, creating an illusion that a single person was many people. Among the many spelling variations of the surname Meechan that are preserved in the archival documents of the time are O'Meehan, Meighan, MacMeehan, MacMeekin, MacMeekan,MacMehan, MacMehon and many more. Early Notables of the Meechan familyMore information is included under the topic Early Meechan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Meechan migration to the United States | + |
The 18th and 19th centuries saw many Irish families immigrate to North America in search of land and opportunities. The largest influx of Irish immigrants to the United States and British North America came during the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine laid waste to their homeland. Hundreds of thousands left the island in an attempt to escape the starvation and disease it brought. Although the arrival of such a large number of destitute Irish was not welcomed by the established population in the United States and what would become known as Canada at the time, these Irish were an essential element to the rapid development of these growing industrial nations. They filled the demand for the cheap labor needed for the work in factories and in the construction of bridges, roads, canals, and railways. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many immigrants bearing the name of Meechan or one of its variants:
Meechan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Mary Meechan, aged 30, who immigrated to the United States from Donegal, Ireland, in 1894
- John Meechan, aged 23, who landed in America from Glasgow, in 1899
Meechan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Wm. Meechan, aged 20, who landed in America from Cloonfad, in 1900
- Patrick Meechan, aged 19, who settled in America from Donegal, in 1906
- Teresa Meechan, aged 27, who settled in America from Glasgow, in 1906
- Bridget Meechan, aged 22, who landed in America from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1907
- George Meechan, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1909
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Meechan migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Meechan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Miss Mary Meechan, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "England" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 22nd September 1865 2
| Contemporary Notables of the name Meechan (post 1700) | + |
- John Stewart Meechan, Scottish professional footballer in the 1930s
- David Anderson Meechan (b. 1943), Australian former professional association footballer
- James Meechan (b. 1930), Scottish-born, Canadian artist best known for his stained glass work
- Frank Meechan (1929-1976), Scottish footballer
- Steven Meechan (b. 1991), Scottish footballer
- Alexander Thomas "Alex" Meechan (b. 1980), English footballer
- MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
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Meechan migration to the United States 
Meechan migration to New Zealand 
