Milligan Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Milligan Family History

Milligan Family History

The Milligan ancient family history was found in the irishsurnames.com archives.

Surnames developed a wide number of variants over the centuries. Many different spelling variations of the same name can be traced back to a single original root. Also, when a bearer of a name emigrated from Ireland it was not uncommon that their original name would be incorrectly transcribed in the record books upon arrival at their new location. Some names have dozens of spelling variations. Some Surnames were also altered over the years based on how they sounded phonetically, by their sound, and depending on the prevailing political conditions it may have been advantageous to change a name from one language to another. This was especially so in Ireland where most Gaelic names were 'anglicized' at some stage.

Variants of the name Milligan include Molohan, Mulligan, Milliken, and Mulqueen. This family Sept, in Irish O'Maolagain, is of distinguished origin, its Chiefs being Lords of a territory called Tir McCarthain in the baronies of Boylagh and Raphoe, County Donegal. They were dispossessed in the Ulster Plantation of the early seventeenth century. Today these families are chiefly located in Counties Mayo and Monaghan. In 1659 they were found in considerable numbers in the Monaghan and Fermanagh areas, and also in the Longford-Westmeath area. In Donegal their name was sometimes changed to Molyneux, but this is rare there now. Of this sept was Charles J. Mulligan, 1866-1916, the American sculptor, who was born in County Tyrone. John O'Mulligan, who was Bishop of Leighlin and died in 1431, is also said to be of this line. The names Milligan and Milliken can also be found in the North-Eastern part of Ulster Province as well as in County Dublin.The Milligan family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Milligan descendants.