monahan vs. monaghan

[stdomsgirl]

My gr.gr.grandfather Hugh Monahan came to the Portland peninsula {Maine USA} in 1848 & married Margaret McGurk in the old {1830} St. Dominic's Church in 1855. St. Dom's was the 1st Irish-Catholic church on the Portland peninsula. I wonder why/when they dropped the 'g' & if our clan Monahan originated in County Monaghan. It is said we're from Donegal. ? My nana Grace Monahan never used the 'g'.

[aghadowey]

Possibly when he got to America the spelling of the name changed to the way it would be pronounced (the 'g' in Monaghan is silent).

[stdomsgirl]

Thanks for your reply about the 'g' makes sense - what I'd really like to know is our family clan Monahan from Monaghan

[mmonagh]

the name Monaghan originated in roscommon  in Ireland..
I am Moira Monaghan with silent G

[sebo]

The surname 'Monaghan', with or without the 'g', is the English version of a Gaelic name  O Muimhneachain (pronounced ' O Mweenacawn') which means 'descendant of a Munster man'. Munster is the southern province of Ireland, including countiers Cork, Kerry, Tipperary etc.  The more common surname Moynihan has the same origin.

The surname has no connection with the place - they just both happen to have the same spelling. There are only a few families in Monaghan called Monahan - they have dropped the 'g' probably to avoid confusion.

[Polly Lynn]

I have a Jane Harrison (born late 1780s early 1790s) of County Monaghan who married Gilbert Monaghan aboard ship to New York state and lived in Albany among other places.  I don't know where he was from.  It is said he had land or a hotel(s) back in Ireland, so returned to check on it and died at sea.  Marriage and death aboard sea.  So you see, a Monaghan, possibly from Monaghan.  The Harrisons were Presbyterian, and Gilbert had his sons baptized in the Presbtyerian Church at Albany, though he could have been Catholic.  Who knows?

[Keith Monahan]

I'm a Monahan from Monaghan. I always regarded the names from being of different origin. Monahan is a Roscommon name derived from Monk. The original clan said to be descended from a 16th century warrior monk in the area. The gaelic being O' Manachain. The place name Monaghan or Muineachain is said to indicate a place of thicket or briar.

To add confusion I don't have the G in my name yet my uncle does. It all depended on what was registered at birth.