For those of you who didn’t know, I’m half-Irish. In the 1970’s I was adopted. My mother was born in England but from an Irish Family. Her family name was Geoghegan (pronounced Gaygan). The Geoghegans hail from Dublin and I’ve been trying to find out more about them.
It seems that not a huge amount of Geoghegans have ever done a DNA test, so my DNA matches with that name are rather few. But I do have 10,000 matches on my mother’s side at the time of writing. My birth mother, god rest her soul, told me that the Geoghegans were originally descended from a king of Ireland. I took that with a pinch of salt, but everything I can find about that does suggest that could be true or is at least widely believed in Ireland. Very cool as I also have some noble blood on my birth Mother’s maternal line too. That name is Marsden
A potted history of Geoghegan
The Geoghegan family name has Irish origins and comes from the Gaelic “Mac Eochagain” which translates to “son of Eochaidh.” The name Eochaidh itself is derived from an ancient Gaelic word for “horseman”. The surname Geoghegan belongs to the large category of Anglo-Irish habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.
The Geoghegan family is traditionally associated with the Irish Midlands, specifically the kingdom of Uí Maine, which later became the modern counties of Offaly and Westmeath. They held significant land and power there from the early Middle Ages until the 17th century.
Here is a more detailed breakdown of the family’s genealogical history:
- Early Origins: The Geoghegan clan can trace its origins to the second century in Ireland. The family belonged to the Southern Ui Neill and were descendants of Niall of the Nine Hostages, a High King of Ireland.
- Middle Ages: The Geoghegans were kings of Uí Maine, later known as the kingdom of Hy Many, from the 8th to 11th centuries. They retained considerable influence and power after losing their royal status, and they were still significant landowners until the 17th century.
- 17th Century: The 17th century was a time of significant upheaval in Ireland, and the Geoghegans, like many other Irish families, lost their lands during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Many members of the family were displaced or forced into exile.
- 19th Century and Beyond: With the Great Famine of the mid-19th century and the subsequent economic hardships in Ireland, many Geoghegans emigrated to other countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In these countries, they became part of the large and influential Irish diaspora.
My Personal Branch – Showing up to Gt Gt Grandparents
Are you researching this group of Geoghegans? Those shown were living in Dublin city through to the late 18th C.(1790s)
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