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I'm a teenage girl who has lived in a foster home my entire life. Just recently, I learned the surname of my real parents, which is McMahon. My foster parents don't want to tell me too much about my real parents yet, but I'm desperate to know... with the last name "McMahon," what nationality could my father have been? If anyone can help me, I'd REALLY appreciate it.
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Since it's pretty certain you're of Irish descent along your paternal line, let me give you most of what you might want to know about the surname "McMahon":
McMahon or MacMahon comes from the Irish "Mac Mathghamba", from "mathghamhqain", meaning "bear". [So MacMahon would be basically "son of the bear"]. The surname arose separately in two areas, in west Clare [seaside county in west central Ireland where my own maternal family stemmed] and in County Monaghan.
In the former, the MacMahons were part of the great tribal grouping, the "Dal gCais", and claim descent from Mahon O'Brien, grandson of Brian Boru [<= great High King of Ireland 1,000 years ago; Irish ancestors don't get any better than this!].
The last Chief of the Name [McMahon] was killed at the Battle of Kinsale in 1602.
The Ulster [northern] McMahons were based in the barony of Truagh in the north of County Monaghan, and ruled the kingdom of Oriel between the 13th and 16th centuries. Their last chief, Hugh McMahon, was beheaded by the [slimy, cowardly] English in 1641.
Today, altho widespread throughout Ireland, McMahon remains most common in the two ancestral homelands of Clare and Monaghan.
Hope that helps, Miss M. If you've got any recent family members' names and would like to see if any other McMahons can provide you info over the Net, go to www.genforum.com That's a site that contains hundreds of message boards for people seeking info on various surnames. Look for either "McMahon" or "MacMahon" -- the difference in spelling is almost arbitrary and it's the same name either way.
From what I've seen, the people who post on genforum are universally friendly and helpful. If you tell them your situation and give them what family info you have, someone's bound to help you dig deeper.
Best of luck to you, Miss MacMahon! God Bless, and don't stop asking questions of your foster parents or whoever else might know something. And come back to see us if you think we might be of assistance.
Daividh
McMahon or MacMahon comes from the Irish "Mac Mathghamba", from "mathghamhqain", meaning "bear". [So MacMahon would be basically "son of the bear"]. The surname arose separately in two areas, in west Clare [seaside county in west central Ireland where my own maternal family stemmed] and in County Monaghan.
In the former, the MacMahons were part of the great tribal grouping, the "Dal gCais", and claim descent from Mahon O'Brien, grandson of Brian Boru [<= great High King of Ireland 1,000 years ago; Irish ancestors don't get any better than this!].
The last Chief of the Name [McMahon] was killed at the Battle of Kinsale in 1602.
The Ulster [northern] McMahons were based in the barony of Truagh in the north of County Monaghan, and ruled the kingdom of Oriel between the 13th and 16th centuries. Their last chief, Hugh McMahon, was beheaded by the [slimy, cowardly] English in 1641.
Today, altho widespread throughout Ireland, McMahon remains most common in the two ancestral homelands of Clare and Monaghan.
Hope that helps, Miss M. If you've got any recent family members' names and would like to see if any other McMahons can provide you info over the Net, go to www.genforum.com That's a site that contains hundreds of message boards for people seeking info on various surnames. Look for either "McMahon" or "MacMahon" -- the difference in spelling is almost arbitrary and it's the same name either way.
From what I've seen, the people who post on genforum are universally friendly and helpful. If you tell them your situation and give them what family info you have, someone's bound to help you dig deeper.
Best of luck to you, Miss MacMahon! God Bless, and don't stop asking questions of your foster parents or whoever else might know something. And come back to see us if you think we might be of assistance.
Daividh
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This is not really connected and may be misleading but there is an Australian actor called Julian McMahon. His father was prime-minister of Australia in 1971.
McMahon sounds Scottish or something but then again, my surname is Francis, and I don't think I am French.
Goodluck.
McMahon sounds Scottish or something but then again, my surname is Francis, and I don't think I am French.
Goodluck.
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Your father could be of just about any nationality with a name like "McMahon", or with any other kind of name. As for his ancestry, though, one might guess that his people were Irish (at least, on his own father's side of the family).
What really concerns me, though, is why your foster parents won't answer your questions about your heritage. If you're old enough to log onto the 'net and start making intelligent inquiries (as I see you're doing here), then you're certainly old enough (and presumably mature enough) to handle whatever it is that your foster parents feel they've got to "shield" you from.
Have you had a heart-to-heart conversation with them about this? If not, then please do so, and tell them how you feel. If they can't -- or won't -- help you, there are other means of finding out the information you wish to have. Tell them this, too. Let them know that it's a far better thing if the answers you are looking for come from them, than from somebody else.
Good luck to you. :)
-- Nanaea
What really concerns me, though, is why your foster parents won't answer your questions about your heritage. If you're old enough to log onto the 'net and start making intelligent inquiries (as I see you're doing here), then you're certainly old enough (and presumably mature enough) to handle whatever it is that your foster parents feel they've got to "shield" you from.
Have you had a heart-to-heart conversation with them about this? If not, then please do so, and tell them how you feel. If they can't -- or won't -- help you, there are other means of finding out the information you wish to have. Tell them this, too. Let them know that it's a far better thing if the answers you are looking for come from them, than from somebody else.
Good luck to you. :)
-- Nanaea
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If I may add my two cents to this posting from Nanaea, especially pester them about your biological family medical history. It will save you (the doctors and your progeny) a lot of grief. There are a number of major medical surprises that are hereditary.
If they (your foster parents) are unwilling to disclose the medical history, work with your caseworker on it. I'm assuming you have a caseworker since you are in foster care.
Phyllis
If they (your foster parents) are unwilling to disclose the medical history, work with your caseworker on it. I'm assuming you have a caseworker since you are in foster care.
Phyllis
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