Show ContentsMeighan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Meighan originally appeared in Gaelic as "O Miadhachain," which is derived from the word miadhach, meaning honorable. [1]

Early Origins of the Meighan family

The surname Meighan was first found in County Leitrim (Irish: Liatroim) anciently the western half of the kingdom of Breifne, located in Northeastern Ireland, in Leinster province, Originally, "Ó Miadhacháin, this is the name of at least two distinct septs; it is now equally distributed throughout the four provinces." [2]

Early History of the Meighan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Meighan research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Meighan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Meighan 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 Meighan that are preserved in archival documents are Meighan, Meehan, Meegin, Meeghen, Meegan, Meakin, Meakins, Mekins, Mehan, Mehen, Mehigan, Mehegan, O'Meighan, O'Meehan and many more.

Early Notables of the Meighan family

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

Meighan Ranking

In the United States, the name Meighan is the 13,457th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [3]


United States Meighan migration to the United States +

Ireland became inhospitable for many native Irish families in the 19th centuries. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high rents, and discrimination forced thousands to leave the island for North America. The largest exodus of Irish settlers occurred with the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. For these immigrants the journey to British North America and the United States was long and dangerous and many did not live to see the shores of those new lands. Those who did make it were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest and most powerful nations of the world. These Irish immigrants were not only important for peopling the new settlements and cities, they also provided the manpower needed for the many industrial and agricultural projects so essential to these growing nations. Immigration and passenger lists have documented the arrival of various people bearing the name Meighan to North America:

Meighan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mathew Meighan, aged 20, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 [4]
  • John Meighan, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1845
  • Peter Meighan, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1852 [4]
  • Michael Meighan, who settled in Philadelphia in 1855
  • James Meighan, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1855 [4]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Meighan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Meighan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • L. Meighan, aged 6 months, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Edwin" from Dublin, Ireland
  • Elenor Meighan, aged 24, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Edwin" from Dublin, Ireland
  • Ann Meighan, aged 9, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Edwin" from Dublin, Ireland
  • Rose Meighan, aged 17, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland

Australia Meighan migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Meighan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Sarah Meighan, (Deery, Deeney, Mehaen, Meehan), (b. 1784), aged 42, Irish laundress who was convicted in Monaghan, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 3rd October 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1840 listed as having 2 children [5]
  • Miss Bridget Meighan who was convicted in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England for 7 years , transported aboard the "Aurora" on 22nd April 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [6]
  • Catherine Meighan, aged 19, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Sea Park"

Contemporary Notables of the name Meighan (post 1700) +

  • Hunter Meighan (1914-2008), American lawyer and politician, Member of the New York State Assembly (1951-1959), New York State Senator (1960-1964)
  • Pewter Meighan, American actor, known for I Love You for Your Sake (2013), Cold Reading (2013) and Chimneys (2013)
  • Brianna Meighan (b. 1982), American actress and model
  • Patrick Meighan, American animation writer, known for his work on Family Guy (1999), Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story (2005) and Titus (2000)
  • Thomas Meighan (1879-1936), American actor of silent films, he has a Star on the Walk of Fame, known for Male and Female (1919), The Racket (1928) and Why Change Your Wife? (1920)
  • Patrick Meighan (b. 1949), American saxophonist and educator
  • Clement W. Meighan (1925-1997), American archaeologist
  • John C. Meighan, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Mayor of Duquesne, Pennsylvania, 1933 [7]
  • Hunter Meighan, American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Westchester County 4th District, 1951-59; Member of New York State Senate 30th District, 1960-64 [7]
  • E. L. Meighan, American politician, Mayor of Mason, Ohio, 1860-62 [7]
  • ... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/brothers
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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