O'Hiffernyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the O'Hiffernyn family

Early History of the O'Hiffernyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Hiffernyn research. Another 52 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1719 and 1777 are included under the topic Early O'Hiffernyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Hiffernyn Spelling Variations

Official 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 O'Hiffernyn that are preserved in the archival documents of the time are Heffernan, Heffernam, O'Heffernan, O'Heffron, Hefferen, Hefferney, Heffernon, Hefferon and many more.

Early Notables of the O'Hiffernyn family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Paul Hiffernan (1719-1777), Irish miscellaneous writer, born in or near Dublin in 1719. "His parents, intending him for the priesthood of the Roman Catholic church, sent him to a classical school in Dublin. When very young he went with...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early O'Hiffernyn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the O'Hiffernyn family

North America accepted thousands of Irish immigrants during the 19th century as their homeland suffered under foreign imperialistic rule. Although settlers from the early portion of the century came to North America by choice in search of land, by far the largest influx of Irish immigrants came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Many of these Irish families left the country destitute and in some cases suffering from disease. However, those who survived the long ocean voyage were especially vital to the development of industry in the United States and what would become known as Canada. Research of immigration and passenger lists has shown many early immigrants bearing the name O'Hiffernyn: Patrick Hefferen settled in Alexandria Virginia in 1817; Bridget Hefferin settled in Pennsylvania in 1773; Edmund, Edward, John, Michael, Thomas and William Heffernan arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.