Surname Heany - Meaning and Origin

Heany: What does the surname Heany mean?

Heany is an Irish surname that has two possible origin stories. The first is that it is an anglicized spelling of the Irish name Ó hEanna, which is derived from the Gaelic word “eanaigh” meaning “sheep meadow.” The second suggests that the name Heany is an anglicized form of the more widespread Irish name Mac Eoin, which means “son of John.”

The adaptation of Heany as a surname is thought to have occurred during the seventeenth century. This makes Heany one of the “modern” Irish surnames, since many of the very old Irish surnames originated centuries before that. Heany can be found throughout England, Ireland, Australia, and the United States, as many individuals bearing the name have emigrated from Ireland during the past two centuries.

The Heany family’s proud roots can be traced back to the ancient Irish kingdom of Connacht. Notable figures in the Heany family include Australian Army General Frank Heany, the first commander of all Australian forces in Vietnam. There's also Heany Wood, founder of the Heany Realty Company, a prominent real estate developer in California.

Today, many people in Ireland still bear the proud name of Heany as part of their identity and their shared history. Indeed, the history of the Heany family, like that of other families of Irish descent, helps to form the rich and varied tapestry of Irish culture.

Heany: Where does the name Heany come from?

The surname Heany is a variant of the Irish surname Heaney. It has a shared root with the surnames Haney, Hanney and Hennesy, all of which are Anglicized forms of the Gaelic "Ó hEidhin". Heany is most commonly found in the English-speaking world today, particularly in Ireland, the United States, Canada, and Australia.

In Ireland, it is one of the more common surnames. According to the General Register Office in Northern Ireland, Heany was the 50th most common surname in 2014. It is most commonly found in counties Down, Derry, Antrim, Armagh, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Londonderry, Cavan, and Dublin. There is also a presence of the surname in Galway and Cork.

In the United States, the surname Heany is most common in Ohio, followed by Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Michigan, California, North Carolina, and Missouri. Canada also has a significant presence of Heany, with the surname most common in Ontario.

In Australia, Heany is mainly located in New South Wales and Victoria, with a much smaller presence in Tasmania, Western Australia, and Queensland. In total, Heany is an international surname, found in countries all over the world.

Variations of the surname Heany

The surname Heany is an Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name Ó hEaghna suggesting a connection to the ancient Gaelic sept of Uí Eachach. The name Heany is derived from the personal name Eochaid which is derived from eoch meaning ‘horse’ and means ‘lord of horses’.

Variations of this surname are numerous and can include Heaney, Heany, Heiney, O’Heany, O’Heaney, Ó hEaghna, O’Heenee, O'Haeghna, O'Heenee, à Heany, Heanney, Hainey, Heaney, Heanee, O’Eney, Heenan, and Heenon.

Spellings of the name have also been known to vary over time and space and can include Heany, Heaney, Heen, Heeney, Heenon, Heinai, Heinemann, Heinis, Heines, Heins, Heyne, Heines, Heynen, Heine, Heynne, Heineken, Heyns, and Heinsen.

Surnames of similar origin, stemming from the same Gaelic sept, include Halaney, Heery, Kearney (MacCathmhaoil), Maghee, Maguin, Magaw, MacGeoghegan, MacGonigal, MacGoiney, MacKimey, Ó Máille, and Ó Cowley.

It is possible that those with the surname Heany are related to people with similar surnames, such as Keaney and Keyne. People with the surname Heany, therefore, may be distantly related to those patients with those random names — branching off from an ancestor descended from the original Gaelic sept of Uí Eachach.

Famous people with the name Heany

• Seamus Heaney: Seamus Heaney was an Irish poet, playwright, translator, and professor. He won the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature and has been hailed as one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century.
• Niall Heaney: Niall Heaney is an Irish professional track and field athlete who specializes in the 400 meters. He won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
• Siobhan Heaney: Siobhan Heaney is an Irish playwright, poet, and novelist. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the Irish Writers' Guild Award for Best Play of the Year in 2005.
• Robert Heaney: Robert Heaney is a former Irish Olympic swimmer who competed in the 1972 Olympics for team Ireland. He also competed in the 1973 World Championships and many other international competitions.
• Siobhan-Marie Heaney: Siobhan-Marie Heaney is an Irish swimmer. She represented Ireland at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
• Brian Heaney: Brian Heaney is an Irish footballer who plays for BW Gottschee of the NPSL in the United States. He previously played for team Ireland and is currently serving as the team's manager.
• Mike Heaney: Mike Heaney is an Irish former professional footballer. He played for Belfast clubs such as Distillery, Glentoran, and Linfield.
• Gerry Heaney: Gerrie Heaney is a former professional wrestler, best-known for his time in the WWE. He is a two-time Intercontinental Champion and a two-time World Champion.
• James Heaney: James Heaney is an Irish actor who has starred in various films and television series. He is best-known for his roles in “Love/Hate,” “Game of Thrones,” and “Rebellion.”

Other surnames

HeanahanHeanerHeaneyHeanue