Meihan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the Meihan family

Early History of the Meihan family

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

Meihan Spelling Variations

Those scribes in Ireland during the Middle Ages recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in this era many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the Meihan family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Meighan, Meehan, Meegin, Meeghen, Meegan, Meakin, Meakins, Mekins, Mehan, Mehen, Mehigan, Mehegan, O'Meighan, O'Meehan and many more.

Early Notables of the Meihan family

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

Migration of the Meihan family

During the 19th century thousands of impoverished Irish families made the long journey to British North America and the United States. These people were leaving a land that had become beset with poverty, lack of opportunity, and hunger. In North America, they hoped to find land, work, and political and religious freedoms. Although the majority of the immigrants that survived the long sea passage did make these discoveries, it was not without much perseverance and hard work: by the mid-19th century land suitable for agriculture was short supply, especially in British North America, in the east; the work available was generally low paying and physically taxing construction or factory work; and the English stereotypes concerning the Irish, although less frequent and vehement, were, nevertheless, present in the land of freedom, liberty, and equality for all men. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Research into passenger and immigration lists has brought forth evidence of the early members of the Meihan family in North America: Thomas Mehegan, who settled in San Francisco in 1850; Daniel and Betsy Mehen settled in Boston in 1849; along with John, Laurence, Mathew and Hugh; John (3) Meighan arrived in Philadelphia in 1845.