Heaney is a surname of Irish origin. It is an

Anglicisation Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...

of the

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

''Ó hEignigh'', thought to be based on the Gaelic a

personal name A personal name, or full name, in onomastic terminology also known as prosoponym (from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον / ''prósōpon'' - person, and ὄνομα / ''onoma'' - name), is the set of names by which an individual person is known ...

meaning "horseman". It was mistakenly thought to derive from Éan, Gaelic for Bird. Versions of it are written in the Annals from the 8th century and has a diverse array of modern derivations and origins. They were chiefs of Fermanagh and

Kings of Airgíalla Between the sixth and sixteenth centuries, the Kingdom of Airgíalla (Anglicized as Oriel) was one of the three major kingdoms that formed what is now the province of Ulster. The others were In Tuisceairt to the north and west, and Ulaid to the e ...

before the expansion south of

Uí Néill The Uí Néill (Irish pronunciation: ; meaning "descendants of Niall") are Irish dynasties who claim descent from Niall Noígíallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages), a historical King of Tara who died c. 405. They are generally divided into the ...

branches

Cenél Fearadhaigh Cenél is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Cenél Conaill, the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Conall Gulban, son of Niall Noígiallach defined by oral and recorded history *Cenél nEógain (in English, Cenel Eogan) is ...

and Cenél nEoghain into

Airgíalla Airgíalla (Modern Irish: Oirialla, English: Oriel, Latin: ''Ergallia'') was a medieval Irish over-kingdom and the collective name for the confederation of tribes that formed it. The confederation consisted of nine minor kingdoms, all independe ...

and the rise of The

Maguire Maguire ( , also spelled MacGuire or McGuire) is an Irish surname from the Gaelic , which is "son of Odhar" meaning "dun", "dark one". According to legend, this relates to the eleventh descendant of Colla da Chrich, great-grandson of Cormac mac ...

s in

Fermanagh Historically, Fermanagh ( ga, Fir Manach), as opposed to the modern County Fermanagh, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Fermanagh. ''Fir Manach'' originally referred to a distinct kin group of al ...

. They became allies to repel the

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Fran ...

in the 13th century. *1127, Gillachrist Ua hEighnigh, king of Feara-Manach, and chief king of Oirghiall, died in Clochar-Uí-nDaimhin (then the Royal capital of

), after choice penance. Notable people with the surname include: * Aaron Heaney, Seapatrick fc *

Aidan Heaney Aidan Heaney (born 9 August 1969) is an English retired football player and coach. He played in Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1996 with the New England Revolution. He had formerly played in Germany and for the Greensboro Dynamo, where he was i ...

, retired English football player * Andrew Heaney, baseball player *

Bob Heaney Bob Heaney (born December 5, 1945) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He was selected by the Calgary Broncos in the late rounds of the 1972 WHA General Player Draft. Career statistics References

* 1945 ...

, Canadian former ice hockey player *

Charles Heaney Charles Edward Heaney (1897–1981Wall text in "No Longer Forgotten: Uncovering the Stories of WPA Artists in the Northwest", Tacoma Art Museum, 2020) was an American painter and printmaker. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, he worked for t ...

, American photographer and painter *

Craig Heaney Craig Heaney (born August 1973) is a British screen, stage and radio actor. He may be best known as Private Roy W. Cobb in the award-winning ten-part mini-series '' Band of Brothers'' (2001). He played Phil in Danny Cannon's 2005 football movie ...

, British actor of screen, stage and radio *

Dermot Heaney Dermot Heaney (born 27 July 1971) is a former Gaelic footballer who played for the Derry county team in the 1990s and early 2000s. He part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Championship winning side, also winning Ulster Senior Football Championships ...

, former Irish Gaelic footballer *

Francis Heaney Francis Heaney is a professional puzzle writer and editor (and a former editor-at-large) for ''GAMES Magazine'', as well as a former editor of ''Enigma,'' the official publication of the National Puzzlers' League, the composer and co-lyricist (with ...

, crossword compiler *

Frank Heaney Frank Heaney (23 November 1886 – 24 August 1937) was an Irish amateur footballer who played in the Football League for Leeds City as a right back. He was a member of the Irish Free State squad for the 1924 Summer OIympics, but did not travel ...

, (1886–1937), Irish footballer *

Gerald William Heaney Gerald William Heaney (January 29, 1918 – June 22, 2010) served for nearly forty years as a United States Circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, from his appointment by President Lyndon B. Johnson in Novemb ...

, (1918–2010), federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals *

Gerald Heaney (magician) Gerald Vincent Heaney (January 26, 1899 – December 26, 1974) was a stage magician and magic supplier from Berlin, Wisconsin, United States. "Heaney the Great" and his magic show toured North America for a number of years during the mid 1900s. ...

, (1899–1974), American magician *

Geraldine Heaney Geraldine Heaney (born October 1, 1967) is an Irish-Canadian ice hockey coach and former defenceman. She played 18 seasons and over 1,000 games with the Toronto Aeros organization, won six Ontario provincial championships and was named Ontario W ...

, Irish-Canadian ice hockey head coach *

Harry Heaney Harry Heaney is an Emeritus Professor of Organic Chemistry at Loughborough University. His research centres on heterocyclic compounds containing nitrogen. See also *Harry Kroto Sir Harold Walter Kroto (born Harold Walter Krotoschiner; 7 ...

, Emeritus Professor of Organic Chemistry *

Joe Heaney Joe Heaney (AKA Joe Éinniú; Irish: Seosamh Ó hÉanaí) (1 October 1919 – 1 May 1984) was an Irish traditional ( sean nós) singer from County Galway, Ireland. He spent most of his adult life abroad, living in England, Scotland and New York ...

(AKA Joe Éinniú), (1919-1984), was an Irish traditional (sean nós) singer from County Galway, Ireland. *

Katie Heaney Katie Heaney (born 1986) is a former BuzzFeed editor, senior writer for '' The Cut,'' and author. Her books include ''Never Have I Ever,'' ''Dear Emma,'' ''Would You Rather?'', ''Girl Crushed,'' and ''The Year I Stopped Trying.'' Career Heaney' ...

, American writer *

Mark Heaney Mark Andrew Heaney (born 14 August 1970) is an English drummer and composer, hailing from London. He was a member of The Seahorses (1998–1999), The Shining (2001–2002) and Gang of Four (2006–2013). Heaney's interest in drumming began a ...

, drummer *

Neil Heaney Neil Andrew Heaney (born 3 November 1971) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger. Heaney began his career with top-flight club Arsenal before making 61 appearances in the Premier League for Southampton. He played ...

, English former footballer *

Patrick Heeney Patrick Heeney (19 October 1881 – 13 June 1911), sometimes spelt Heaney, was an Irish composer whose most famous work is the music to the Irish national anthem "Amhrán na bhFiann" (). Background Heeney was born at 101 Lower Mecklenburgh Stre ...

, (1881–1911), sometimes spelt Heaney, was an Irish composer whose most famous work is the music to the Irish national anthem "Amhrán na bhFiann" (English: "The Soldier's Song"). *

Sarah Heaney Sarah Heaney (born 19 May 1970) is a former Scottish television presenter. Life and career She began her TV career with Live TV as a news reporter, then went on to front ''S2 Live'' on the now defunct SMG digital channel S2. In early 2000 ...

, Scottish television presenter *

Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (; 13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.

, (1939–2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. *

Stewart Heaney Stewart Paul Heaney (born 17 October 1980) is a Canadian cricketer who played in three One Day International A One Day International (ODI) is a form of limited overs cricket, played between two teams with international status, in which e ...

, Canadian cricketer * Thomas Heaney, Australian rules footballer * Tim Heaney, (1914–1996), South African cricketer

References

{{surname, Heaney English-language surnames Anglicised Irish-language surnames Surnames of Irish origin