MAHON
Mahon is a surname of Irish origin. It descends from the Gaelic name Mac Mathghamhna, meaning “son of Mathghamhain”. The personal name Mathghamhain is rooted in the word math, which means “bear”. Consequently, the surname is associated with ancestors who were renowned for bear‑like qualities such as strength, courage and fierceness.
As is common with Irish surnames, Mahon has been rendered in several Anglicised forms. Spelling variants include MacMahon, McMahon, Mahan, Maughan, Mahone and, in some families, the prefix O’ has been applied, giving O’Mahon and O’Mahoney. The variant Vaughan is occasionally used in County Clare as an equivalent of the Munster form Mahony.
Two principal septs of the name are recorded in Ireland. The first is situated in County Clare, where the Maḥons trace their descent from Mahon, son of Murtagh Mor O’Brien, King of Ireland (d. 1119). Their traditional territory, Corcabaskin in West Clare, remains the concentration of the name to this day. The last Chief of the Name was slain at the Battle of Kinsale in 1602. The second sept, also known as MacMahon, established itself as lords of Oriel in the thirteenth century; Oriel encompassed the ancient kingdom comprising Counties Armagh, Monaghan and parts of South Down, Louth and Fermanagh. In County Monaghan the name ranks third on the list of the most popular surnames.
The surname features in several prominent Irish ecclesiastical offices. Archbishop Bernard MacMahon (1680 – 1747) served as Archbishop of Armagh after having been Bishop of Clogher. In continental Europe, Edmond Patrice, Count de MacMahon (1808 – 1893), rose to become Marshal of France and President of the Third Republic for six years.
The family heraldry is traditionally recorded as a silver shield displaying three red lions passant reguardant in pale, each armed and langued azure. The first documented spelling of the name appears in the Early Medieval Records of Ireland as MacMahon, in a record dated 1170; it is associated with Reginald FitzUrse, who fled to Ireland after the murder of Thomas a Beckett during the reign of Rory O’Connor (High King of Ireland, 1166 – 1175).
Following the great waves of Irish emigration, the surname has spread widely beyond its original homeland. It is now found in substantial numbers in England, the United States, Australia and Canada, with notable concentrations in the United States in New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, reflecting the settlement patterns of early Irish immigrants. In the United Kingdom it remains reasonably prevalent, particularly in areas of historical Irish settlement. Despite its global dispersal, the highest density of the name continues to be in Ireland itself, particularly within the counties of Clare, Monaghan and Fermanagh, where the traditions of the two principal septs persist.
Typical given names associated with the Mahon surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Patrick
- Paul
- Peter
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Angela
- Ann
- Catherine
- Deborah
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Joanne
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Mahoe
- Mahone
- Mahin
- Mahan
- Mahen
- Maho
- Mahoon
- Mahana
- Mahani
- Mahayni
- Mahonie
- Mahou
- Mahoune
- Mahow
- Mahun
- Mahuna
- Maon
- Maughn
- Mawhinnie
- Mayhan
- Mayhen
- Mayho
- Mayhoe
- Mayhon
- Mayhow
- Mayon
- Meahan
- Meahen
- Meahon
- Meehan
- Meehean
- Meehen
- Mehan
- Mehana
- Mehanna
- Mehen
- Mehin
- Mehon
- Mhana
- Mhanna
- Mhen
- Mihan
- Mohan
- Mohane
- Mohanna
- Mohen
- Mohin
- Mohini
- Mohon
- Mohun
- Moohan
- Mouhanna
- Moyhan
- Muhan
- Muhanna
- Muhin
- Myhan
- Maheen
- Mahony
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Mahon in...
Braille
⠍⠁⠓⠕⠝
Morse
--.-....----.
Semaphore
There are approximately 5,176 people named Mahon in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,827th most common surname in Britain. Around 79 in a million people in Britain are named Mahon.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Mahon
- Derek Mahon - Poet
- Tina Mahon - Actress
- Gavin Mahon - Football player
- Alice Mahon - Politician
- Simon Mahon - Politician (1914 to 1986)
- Peter Mahon - Politician (1909 to 1980)
- Denis Mahon - Art historian and collector (1910 to 2011)
- Mick Mahon - Football player
- Jack Mahon - Football player (1911 to 1993)
- Sir William Mahon, 7th Baronet - Army officer and Baronet
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.