Surname Feighny - Meaning and Origin

Feighny: What does the surname Feighny mean?

The last name Feighny (Feighney, Feighny, Feehny, etc.) has a long and proud history. It is an Anglicized version of the Irish surname Ó Faoithin, which means “descendant of Faoithin.”

The roots of the name date back to ancient times, when an individual named Faoithin (pronounced “foweeth-in”) was an ancient chieftain orKing. His ancient kingdom was located in County Tyrone, Ireland and his descendants took on his name as their own.

Many of these descendants eventually made their way to the United States, where the spelling of the name was changed to Feighney, Feighny, Feehny, etc.

There are two main theories regarding the original meaning of the name. One is that the name refers to a ‘hawk’ or some type of bird, and the other is that it may have derived from the Gaelic word ‘feadh‘ which means wood or woodlands.

No matter what the original meaning of the name may have been, it is clear that the descendants of Faoithin take pride in their name and continue to carry it with honor and distinction. As such, the name Feighny is steeped in centuries of tradition and legacy and will continue to be handed down to future generations.

Feighny: Where does the name Feighny come from?

Feighny is an Irish surname that is most common today in the Northwestern corner of Ireland, specifically Donegal, Mayo, Galway and Sligo with a few families in the Leitrim, Cavan, and Monaghan areas. This Irish surname is also popular in Scotland, the Isle of Man, Wales and Canada.

In Ireland, members of the Feighny family are concentrated in County Mayo and west Donegal. Mayo alone today has 116 listings in the phone book of the surname Feighny. In fact, various variations of the Feighny name such as Fahy, Feeney, Feighney, Feigny, and Phagnity are all found in Mayo.

The Isle of Man also has many of the Feighny families living in the small towns of Ballabeg, Ballacurry, Peel, Baldrine, Lonan, Colby, and Greeba. The phone book shows that there are a lot of Feighny families living all over the powers and counties of Isle of Man.

Scotland is also a popular area for the Feighny surname. Feighny is one of the most common surnames originating in Ireland and is most commonly found in the west coastal areas of Scotland in places such as Northern Ireland, County Sligo, Londonderry, Fermanagh, and Londonderry.

Lastly, the Feighny surname is also outspreading in Canada and many Canadians of Irish origin hold the Feighny surname. The largest Feighny populations are in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland.

The last name Feighny has been a part of history for many centuries and is still passed down in many families. Feighny is an Irish name that has been spread far and wide throughout the countries of Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, Wales and Canada.

Variations of the surname Feighny

Feighny is an Irish surname with variants that include Feehan, Fegan, Feegan, and Fehane.

As is common with many Irish surnames, the spelling of the Feighny surname has had many slight variations over the years. This includes Fegan and Fehane, which, like Feighny, all derive from the Irish name “Ó Féichín”. Ó Féichín is an Irish Gaelic rendering of the Old Norse personal name “Fekk”, which means ‘son of Fek’.

The Feehan spelling of the surname is also another variant of the Feighny name. It is derived from the county of Tipperary in Ireland, and has been traced to the old Gaelic sept of O’Feehane. This sept is believed to have descended from a son of Ó Féichín who was a powerful chieftain who settled in the area around the 13th century.

The Feegan spelling of the Feighny name is also derived from the old Gaelic sept of O’Feehane. It is said that a grandson of the same chieftain used Feegan as his surname instead of Feehan. This has since become the main variant of the surname in the areas close to Tipperary.

Many with the surname Feighny may also have hyphenated surnames that include Feighny-Feehan, Feighny-Feegan, or Feighny-Fehane. In some cases, having a hyphenated surname combined with one of its variants may be the only indication that one has the Feighny surname.

Famous people with the name Feighny

• Jaime Feighny: an American transformational life coach and public speaker
• Dan Feighny: an American actor best known for appearing in 'The Rich & The Ruthless'
• Erin Feighny: an American retired professional basketball player
• Joe Feighny: an American businessman who is the co-founder and CEO of Kohl's Department Stores
• Anne Feighny: an American writer, producer, and director who wrote the screenplay for 'Dreams in Dark Places'
• Pat Feighny: an American journalist who served as an anchor at KGO-TV in San Francisco
• Kevin Feighny: a British actor best known for his roles in 'Game of Thrones' and 'Sherlock Holmes'
• Tom Feighny: an American author and sculptor best known for his books 'My Brother’s Keepers' and 'The New Graceland'
• David Feighny: an American professional golfer who has won several PGA tour events
• Ryan Feighny: an American basketball player who played college basketball at the University of Arizona

Other surnames

FeighneyFeight