Find out how popular the last name Meehan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Meehan.

Meehan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Meehan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Meehan in America

Meehan is the 2464th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Meehan surname appeared 14,630 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Meehan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Meehan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Meehan

The surname Meehan is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Miadhachain, which originated in County Donegal, Ireland. The name derives from the Old Irish word "miodhach," meaning "honorable" or "worthy of honor." It is believed to have first emerged in the 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Meehan appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention a member of the Ó Miadhachain clan named Muircheartach Ó Miadhachain, who lived in the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the name Meehan can be found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of letters patent and grants issued by the English monarchs during their reign over Ireland. This suggests that the name was well-established in Ireland by that time.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, many Irish families, including the Meehans, were forced to anglicize their surnames due to the English conquest of Ireland and the suppression of Irish culture and language. As a result, the spelling of the name evolved from Ó Miadhachain to its more modern form, Meehan.

Notable individuals with the surname Meehan throughout history include:

1. Patrick Meehan (1847-1898), an Irish-American priest and educator who served as the third president of St. Vincent's College in Pennsylvania.

2. Thomas Meehan (1826-1901), an English-born American horticulturist and botanist who was a pioneer in the field of landscape architecture.

3. John Meehan (1889-1934), an Irish-born American actor and playwright who was active in the early 20th century.

4. Mary Josephine Meehan (1863-1941), an Irish-born American educator and writer who founded the Meehan Memorial School for Girls in New York City.

5. Michael Meehan (1852-1931), an Irish-born American politician who served as a member of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate.

The surname Meehan has a rich history rooted in Ireland, with its origins dating back to the 12th century. Despite the anglicization of the name, it has maintained a strong presence throughout the centuries and has been borne by numerous notable individuals across various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Meehan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Meehan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Meehan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Meehan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Meehan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Meehan, please contact us.

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