The Meagher surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,784 people carried this name — #5,951 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 51,000 people counted. That is up 3% from 5,619 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Meagher surname

Variant of Maher or Meager.

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

As a surname in the United Kingdom

Harrison classes it as a Celtic name: ‘Descendant of Meachair (the Fair, Handsome)’.

Harrison refers Meagher to Maher: from the Irish O'Maher or O'Meagher.

From Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. II (London: The Morland Press, 1918), p. 10 · public domain.

In print

Meagher in American newspapers,
1909.

Newspaper page from The Falmouth Outlook carrying the name Meagher
The Falmouth Outlook 1909-04-09
Newspaper page from Anadarko Daily Democrat carrying the name Meagher
Anadarko Daily Democrat 1909-04-14
Newspaper page from The Beaver Herald carrying the name Meagher
The Beaver Herald 1909-05-06

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 75,427 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Meagher in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

72,385 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Meagher. The most, 13,980, date from the 1910s. 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 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 38,285
Victoria 14,500
Western Australia 8,167
Queensland 5,816
Tasmania 2,789
South Australia 2,184
ACT (Canberra) 559
Northern Territory 51

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

Who carried it

People named Meagher,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Thomas Francis Meagher
    Thomas Francis Meagher 1823–1867 · politician
  • Thomas Francis Meagher
    Thomas Francis Meagher 1823–1867 · politician
  • Domingo Patricio Meagher 1703–1772 · writer
  • Thomas Meagher 1796–1874 · politician
  • John Meagher 1805–1876 · politician
  • Patrick J. Meagher 1810–1880 · writer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Meagher,
in the records of 7 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 States1,721 records

1,721 records of the Meagher name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 758
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 288
  • Other U.S. records 675
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record William A. Meagher

    Born 1922 in Massachusetts. Enlisted 1942 at Boston; apprentice from Middlesex County. U.S. Army veteran; died 1991, buried at Massachusetts National Cemetery, Massachusetts.

    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 William Meagher

    Arrived at New York in 1884 aboard the City of Chester from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 38; laborer. From Tipperary, Ireland; bound for Chicago.

    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 Neil Walter Meagher

    Born 1931; from Los Angeles County, California. U.S. Army, company aidman; declared dead 1950 in North Korea.

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

Showing 3 of 1,721 records for Meagher 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) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). 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).

Australia796 records

796 records of the Meagher name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 387
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 220
  • Other Australian records 189
  1. 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 Thomas Francis Meagher

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Swift in 1849. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1851.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Meagher

    Arrived in Victoria in 1885 aboard the Potosi, aged 19; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Stephen Vincent Meagher

    Gentleman of Northcote, Victoria; died 1963.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 796 records for Meagher 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) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: 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); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada705 records

705 records of the Meagher name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 677
  • Halifax municipal cemeteries 8
  • Other Canadian records 20
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Lena Meagher

    Killed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917; buried at St John's Cemetery, Halifax.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Milton Meagher

    Killed in 1928 at the Springhill No. 2 mine, 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 Gerald Michael Meagher

    Died in service in 1918.

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

Showing 3 of 705 records for Meagher in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · 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. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). 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).

New Zealand8 records

8 records of the Meagher name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 7
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Patrick Meagher

    Died 1986, aged 66; buried at Ruru Lawn, 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 Lucy Christine Meagher

    Buried in 1966 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 75.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Alice Meagher

    Died 1942, aged 81; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Meagher in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District 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 Kingdom4 records

4 records of the Meagher name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  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. Meagher

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

    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 E. Meagher

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

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

    Lance Corporal, King's Royal Rifle Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 4 records for Meagher in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (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).

France2 records

2 records of the Meagher name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Esther Madeline Meagher

    Born 1899 in Great Britain; died 1994 in Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Odette Meagher

    Born 1912 in Paris; died 1989 in Le Beausset (Var).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Meagher name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Rachel Marie Therésa Meagher

    Married in 1904 in Arnhem.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Meagher.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Meagher 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.

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