The Meehan surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 14,630 people carried this name — #2,464 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 20,200 people counted. That is up 2% from 14,348 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Meehan surname

A surname from Irish; variant form Meegan.

Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Miadhacháin (“descendant of Miadachán”), a diminutive of miadhach (“honourable”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Meehan» (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 121 births for the Meehan name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Leinster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 5,400 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 9 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born, 1890

Leinster 34
Ulster 32
Connacht 30
Munster 25

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

In the Nordic population registers

21 people named Meehan is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 21

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In print

Meehan in American newspapers,
1876–1920.

Newspaper page from Wood County Reporter carrying the name Meehan
Wood County Reporter 1876-08-03
Newspaper page from Essex County Herald carrying the name Meehan
Essex County Herald 1916-11-24
Newspaper page from Casper Daily Tribune carrying the name Meehan
Casper Daily Tribune 1920-10-14

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 84,840 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Meehan in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2010s.

26,049 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Meehan. The most, 5,230, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Victoria, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 9,565
Victoria 7,448
Queensland 5,437
Western Australia 1,987
South Australia 835
Tasmania 523
ACT (Canberra) 141
Northern Territory 52

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

Who carried it

People named Meehan,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Silva Meehan
    John Silva Meehan 1790–1863 · librarian
  • Thomas Meehan
    Thomas Meehan 1826–1901 · botanist
  • Thomas Francis Meehan
    Thomas Francis Meehan 1854–1942 · writer
  • Joseph Meehan
    Joseph Meehan 1862– · writer
  • Chick Meehan
    Chick Meehan 1893–1972 · baseball player

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 140 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Meehan,
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 States6,506 records

6,506 records of the Meehan name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 2,977
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 1,391
  • Other U.S. records 2,138
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record James Michael Meehan

    Born 1949; from Flushing, New York. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1970 in Thua Thien, South Vietnam. Buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Clayton D. Meehan

    Born 1922 in Vermont. Enlisted 1942 at Rutland; pattern maker from Essex County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1983, buried at Lakeside Cemetery, Island Pond, Vermont.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool, aged 20; servant. From Londonderry, Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 6,506 records for Meehan 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, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (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: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia972 records

972 records of the Meehan name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 370
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 216
  • Other Australian records 386
  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 Bridget Meehan

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Greenlaw, sailing from Dublin in 1844. Native of Clare. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1848. Married 1848 in Westbury, Tasmania, aged 26.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Mary Meehan

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1852. Married 1852 in Richmond, Tasmania, aged 21.

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

    Arrived in Queensland in 1911 aboard the Norseman, aged 10.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 972 records for Meehan in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (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) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). 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); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada210 records

210 records of the Meehan name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 172
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 15
  • Other Canadian records 23
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Maggie Meehan

    Came to Ontario in 1873 aboard the Phoenician, bound for Chatham, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Edward Francis Meehan

    Buried in 1992 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 67.

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

    Died 1896 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 210 records for Meehan 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. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Ireland29 records

29 records of the Meehan name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Meehan

    Died 1970, aged 65; buried at Dunmore, 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 Mamie Meehan

    Died 1988, aged 66; buried at Carraroe, Williamstown, 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 Patrick Meehan

    Died 1915; buried at Clonburn, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 29 records for Meehan 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).

United Kingdom15 records

15 records of the Meehan name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 13
  • Stirling Council burial records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Meehan

    Died 1964, aged 54; buried at Logie Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ronald Patrick Meehan

    Died 1997, aged 52; buried at St Thomas Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Meehan

    Ondon Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

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

Showing 3 of 15 records for Meehan in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand10 records

10 records of the Meehan name in New Zealand
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 5
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 2
  • Other New Zealand records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William James Meehan

    Died 1995, aged 73; buried at Tairua Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Henrietta Thornhill Meehan

    Died 1934, aged 72; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Norman John Meehan

    Died 1970, aged 74; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Meehan in New Zealand.

Counts: Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Meehan 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 Timothy John Meehan

    Born 1954 in Great Britain; died 1999 in Péaule (Morbihan).

    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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Meehan.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Meehan 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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