Irish surnames are all based on the Gaelic language native to Ireland
. The original Gaelic form of the name Graghan is "O Gormghaile" in Connacht
, or "O Goirmleadhaigh" in Ulster.
Early Origins of the Graghan family
The surname Graghan was first found in County Donegal
(Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland
in the province of Ulster
, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel, where the Graghan family held a seat from very ancient times.
Early History of the Graghan family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Graghan research.Another 208 words (15 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Graghan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Graghan Spelling Variations
The Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations
for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period because the general population had to rely on local
official's understanding of how their name should be spelt, hence spellings in records often changed through a person's lifetime. The following variations for the name Graghan were encountered in the archives: Gormley, O'Gormley, Grehan, Gormleigh, Gormly, Gormlie, Grimes and many more.
Early Notables of the Graghan family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Graghan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products
and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Graghan family to the New World and Oceana
became inhospitable for many native Irish families
in the 19th centuries. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high rents, and discrimination forced thousands to leave the island for North America. The largest exodus of Irish settlers occurred with the Great Potato Famine
of the late 1840s. For these immigrants the journey to British North America and the United States was long and dangerous and many did not live to see the shores of those new lands. Those who did make it were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest and most powerful nations of the world. These Irish immigrants were not only important for peopling the new settlements and cities, they also provided the manpower needed for the many industrial and agricultural projects so essential to these growing nations. Immigration and passenger lists have documented the arrival of various people bearing the name Graghan to North America: Michael Gormley, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1840; and Thady, John, Bridget, Catherine and Mary Gormley who settled in Quebec in 1848.
Graghan Family Crest Products