Feehan Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Feehan Family History

Feehan Family History

The ancient origin of the name Feehan 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 Feehan include Feeheen, Feen and Fehane. This name in Irish is O'Feichin and this sept was from Counties Tipperary and Kilkenny.

A sept or clan is a collective term describing a group of persons whose immediate ancestors bore a common surname and inhabited the same territory. It is also the case that many Irish septs or clans that are related often belong to a larger groups, sometimes called tribes. For example the 'Tribes of Galway' consisted of fourteen distinct families. The 'Tribes of Kilkenny' were ten families, etc.

TAn early record of the sept occurs in 1295 when a Thomas O'Fechan is recorded as having appeared before a court in Clonmel. A Philip MacShoan O'Fethan is recorded as having been convicted of robbery in County Tipperary in the year 1359. A Conghor Leith O'Fean was fined at Clonmel in the year 1380. In 1600 a Teige MacNicholas O'Fehin, who belonged to Ormond territory, was granted a pardon. In modern times this name and it's variants are mostly found in Munster Province, and especially in the Kilkenny area.The Feehan 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 Feehan descendants.