The Heffernan surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,961 people carried this name — #5,043 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 42,400 people counted. That is up 7% from 6,532 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Heffernan surname

Anglicized form of Irish Ó hIfearnáin (“descendant of Ifearnán”), a personal name derived from a diminutive form of ifreannach (“demon”), from ifreann (“hell”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Heffernan» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 53 births for the Heffernan name in 1890.

Most were registered in Munster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 2,400 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born, 1890

Munster 36
Leinster 16
Connacht 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In print

Heffernan in American newspapers,
1899–1900.

Newspaper page from Evening Bulletin carrying the name Heffernan
Evening Bulletin 1900-10-29
Newspaper page from The Pacific Commercial Advertiser carrying the name Heffernan
The Pacific Commercial Advertiser 1900-10-29
Newspaper page from Vilas County News carrying the name Heffernan
Vilas County News 1899-07-31

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 19,353 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Heffernan in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

34,680 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Heffernan. The most, 6,952, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 20,165
Victoria 6,479
Queensland 2,827
South Australia 1,979
Western Australia 1,498
Tasmania 1,393
ACT (Canberra) 248
Northern Territory 59

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Heffernan.

Who carried it

People named Heffernan,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Margaret Borland
    Margaret Borland 1824–1873 · rancher
  • Josephine Heffernan
    Josephine Heffernan 1876–1962 · nurse
  • Jeremiah Heffernan
    Jeremiah Heffernan 1884–1969 · politician
  • Michael Heffernan
    Michael Heffernan 1885–1970 · politician
  • James J. Heffernan
    James J. Heffernan 1888–1967 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 111 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Heffernan,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,031 records

2,031 records of the Heffernan name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 652
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 533
  • Other U.S. records 846
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John N. Heffernan

    Born 1924 in Texas. Enlisted 1942 at Houston; pattern maker from Harris County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at Rosewood Memorial Park, Humble, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Heffernan

    Arrived at New York in 1857 aboard the Cultivator from Liverpool, aged 50; domestic. From Tipperary, Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Daniel Joseph Heffernan

    Born 1945; from Chicago, Illinois. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1967 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 2,031 records for Heffernan in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia1,066 records

1,066 records of the Heffernan name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 289
  • Tasmanian Names Index 260
  • Other Australian records 517
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Charles Richard Heffernan

    Died 1900 in Franklin, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1900.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Roger Heffernan

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Mangles, arriving 1822; ticket of leave 1830. Native of Cork City.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Michl Heffernan

    Arrived in Victoria in 1855 aboard the Constance, aged 40; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,066 records for Heffernan in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada147 records

147 records of the Heffernan name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 122
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 9
  • Other Canadian records 16
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Florence Elizabeth Heffernan

    Buried in 1983 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 81.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Michaeil Heffernan

    Died 1942 in Georgeville, Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Frederick Heffernan

    Died in service in 1915.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 147 records for Heffernan in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Ireland9 records

9 records of the Heffernan name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Margaret Heffernan

    Died 1944, aged 75; buried at Kilcummin, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Heffernan

    Died 1987; buried at Moylough, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Michael Heffernan

    Died 1949; buried at Ballinakill, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Heffernan in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

New Zealand3 records

3 records of the Heffernan name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Catherine Ellen Heffernan

    Died 1985, aged 83; buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Thomas Heffernan

    Died 1970, aged 78; buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Robert Emmet Heffernan

    Died 1987, aged 78; buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Heffernan name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 2
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 1
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Heffernan

    Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. Heffernan

    Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Heffernan in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Heffernan.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Heffernan is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Heffernan volume
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