Surname Henaghan - Meaning and Origin
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Henaghan: What does the surname Henaghan mean?
The surname Henaghan is thought to have originated from the Irish surname McNaghten or MacNaghten. It is thought to have derived from the Gaelic ‘Mac an Eich’ meaning ‘Son of the Horse’. Henaghan is mainly found in County Mayo in Ireland, however there are also Henaghans found in Scotland and England.
In Ireland, the surname Henaghan can be found in the baronies of Tirawley, Erris and Burrishoole, which are all located in County Mayo. Oftentimes, the name was Anglicized due to the heavy influence of English rule on Ireland during the 15th and 16th centuries. This ultimately led to the spelling ‘Henaghan’, which has remained common throughout the decades.
The Henaghan surname is widely accepted to be associated with the O’Neill clan which ruled over the Northern part of Ireland. Oftentimes, an individual bearing the name Henaghan may have some distant Irish connections.
The name Henaghan can also be used as a nickname for people named Henry or MacDonald, as it sounds like a combination of the two names.
Though the original meaning of the surname was derived from the Gaelic term meaning ‘Son of the Horse’, the widely used connotation of the name Henaghan has since become a sign of strength, resilience, and loyalty.
Order DNA origin analysisHenaghan: Where does the name Henaghan come from?
The last name Henaghan is an Irish surname that was first found in County Mayo in Ireland. Today, the surname is still relatively common in the western and southern parts of Ireland, particularly in counties such as Cork, Limerick, and Galway.
The name is also present in the United Kingdom, primarily as a result of Irish immigration to areas such as England, Scotland, and Wales. To a lesser extent, the name is also found in Australia, Canada, and the United States. However, due to its strong Irish roots, the name is still most commonly found in Ireland and its diaspora.
The exact origin of the name Henaghan is uncertain. However, it is believed to be derived from the Irish Ó hAonghusa, which translates as “descendant of Aonghus” Aonghus was a popular Gaelic personal name.
There are a number of variants of the name, including Henaghan, Heenaghan, Heneghan, and O'Henaghan. The name is often misspelled as Hennessy, which is an entirely separate surname.
In addition to the surname, the name Henaghan is also found in a number of Irish placenames, including Henaghan Loch, Henaghan Point and Henaghan Island. In each of these cases, the name derives from the Irish aonach meaning “hill” or “mountain”.
Variations of the surname Henaghan
The Henaghan surname is of Irish origin and derives from the Irish Gaelic Ó hAonghusa (or Ó hAonghuis). Variants of this surname include Hennahane, Hennegan, Henigan, Hanneghan, Handaghan, and Honaghan.
The spelling of the surname is known to vary over time, with many different variations existing. This is mainly due to recording errors or transliteration from one language to another. The most common versions of Henaghan appearing in records are Hennegan, Honaghan, and Handaghan.
The name 'Henaghan' is unrelated to the surname 'Hennigan', which is primarily found in southern and western Ireland. It is also unrelated to the 'Hennigar' surname, which is a Canadian surname.
The presence of the 'O' prefix suggests that the original form of the surname was Ó hAonghase. Stemming from the root name 'Aonghus', this surname was often linked with the ancient Gaelic god of love. All variants of this surname with the 'O' prefix are likely connected.
The most common spelling of this surname is generally 'Henaghan', though it may be occasionally be encountered as 'Heneghan' or 'Henneghan'. Henaghan is often found in County Cork, where many immigrants from that area settled in America during the 1800s.
The numerous variants of this surname demonstrate the different variations which could appear in records. The presence of the 'O' prefix helps to differentiate this surname from similar examples of Irish surnames. However, the main variant which appears in most records is 'Henaghan'.
Famous people with the name Henaghan
- Paul Henaghan: New Zealand Supreme Court Chief Justice
- Melissa Henaghan: Australian paralympian
- Eddie Henaghan: Australian rules footballer
- Molly Henaghan: Irish fiddle player
- Michael Henaghan: Australian rugby league player
- Baxter Henaghan: Australian ornithologist
- Pádraig Henaghan: Irish priest
- Tommy Henaghan: Irish Gaelic footballer
- Joe Henaghan: English professional footballer
- Matthew Henaghan: British Olympic sailor
- David Henaghan: British politician
- Siobhán Henaghan: Irish singer
- Matt Henaghan: American lacrosse player
- Patrick Henaghan: Irish actor.