Surname Heagney - Meaning and Origin
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Heagney: What does the surname Heagney mean?
The last name Heagney is of Irish descent and is derived from the Gaelic O hOgain, which means "descendant of Ogán". The name is thought to be either from the first name of the initial bearer, or from the old Irish Gaelic given name, Ógán or Uí Ogán, which means "young one". The name is linked to the Sept, which is a group of related families with a common ancestor.
The Heagney surname is usually found in and around County Mayo, County Sligo, and County Meath in Ireland. The name has been known in Ireland for centuries, with the families associated with the name associated with successful farmers or cattle owners. The Heagney name is also associated with the celebrated Mayo bardic families, who were highly regarded throughout the region.
The Heagney name is now spread across the world due to the emigration of the Irish in the 1800s and 1900s. Today the Heagney name is most commonly found in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Great Britain.
The Heagney name shares similar characteristics with other Irish surnames, as it is the name of a Sept and is associated with a successful family enterprise. The name is well recognizable due to its aristocratic history in the region, and is still widely used today due to the diaspora of the Irish people.
Order DNA origin analysisHeagney: Where does the name Heagney come from?
The last name Heagney originated in Ireland and is still prevalent throughout that country today. It is especially common in the areas of County Sligo and County Mayo. It is also found in other parts of Great Britain, such as Scotland, Wales and Northumberland. Additionally, due to Irish emigration to the United States in the mid-1800s, Heagney has become a common surname in the United States. American states such as Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, and Illinois have large Heagney populations. More recently, the name has been spreading to other countries including Canada, Australia and New Zealand due to modern day emigration.
The origin of the Heagney surname is derived from the Irish name O'Heagain which translates to "descendant of Heagain". This is in relation to the minor king Heagain who ruled in western Donegal approximately 900 AD. The name has been anglicized over time into various spellings including Heagney, Haughey, Heneghan, and Hagan.
The Heagney name is often associated with the Heagney family tree, which is believed to be a prominent branch of the O'Neill family, an Irish clan who were active in the medieval era. The modern day Heagneys take pride in their origins and, despite the spread of the name throughout the world, remain firmly tied to their Irish roots.
Variations of the surname Heagney
Surname Heagney is an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hEaghna. This surname has many different spellings, variants, and surnames of the same origin.
The earliest recorded spelling of the Heagney family name dates back to 14th century, in the modern era, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth the first, where the Ó hEaghna Clan can be found in the records of County Cork.
The most common spelling variant of the surname Heagney is Hegney, with other variants such as Heegney, Heagney, Heawny, Hegne, Heaigney, and Heany. Other related spellings can include Hegny, Heany, Hagan, Hagn, Hagen, Hegane, Heggan, Hogan, Hoggan, O'Hagan, and Higgens.
The Irish variants for the surname Heagney include Mac Eochagain, Mac Eachegan, Mac Eochaghan, Mac Eoghan and Mac Nowdy.
In Ireland the Beagham family was originally the most prominent of the Hill O'Hegneys. The Beaghams are a branch of O'Hegney who today bear the surname Beaugham. However, many of the O'Hegney families are still based in County Cork in Ireland and many migrated to the Finnish counties of Limerick, Kerry, Mayo, Galway, Tipperary, Longford, Waterford, and Donegal.
Other variants of the Heagney surname can also be found in Scotland, which are Mac Hagain, Hawgan, Hagain, Hagan, and Hand. In the northeast of England there is a variant of the Heagney surname called Hegney, which also has an almost identical spelling of Heganey.
Heagney is a unique surname, with a long heritage and many variants with a common original ancestor. Each name variant has its own story and compelling history.
Famous people with the name Heagney
- Brian Heagney: Irish businessman who was a manager of Coca-Cola Ireland from 1996 to 2011.
- Peter Heagney: Australian actor who appeared in the hit TV series Neighbours (1984: 1992).
- Steve Heagney: Basketball coach, director of the Iowa Wildcats men’s team from 1993 to 2003.
- Bob Heagney: NFL cornerback who played for the Washington Redskins from 1983 to 1989.
- Sean Heagney: Irish rugby union player who has played for both the Leinster and Ireland teams.
- Kenneth P. Heagney: World War I veteran and Medal of Honor recipient.
- Martin Heagney: Professional soccer player who represented the Irish national team six times from 1988-1991.
- Joe Heagney: British screenwriter known for films such as The Virgin Queen (1995) and The Great Fire (2002).
- John Heagney: US Navy test pilot and member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
- Siobhan Heagney: Irish model and actress who has appeared in numerous theatre productions and TV series.