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From: "jim murphy" <>
Subject: [FIANNA-L] GAVAGAN/HEVICAN
Date: Sun, 28 Jun 98 11:22:38 PDT

My Great Grandmother is a HEVICAN. I have been fortunate to have found a
Hevican living in Co. Roscommon. While we have not yet made positive
connection we are still researching.

I would like to quote from a letter I received from her:

There is an item of interest the you may be unaware of, concerning the name
"Hevican". The real name is HEVAGHAN.
There are three names entered on the surnames of Ireland. O'Hevican,
O'Havican, and O'Hevaghan. The Irish for this name is O'Leimheachain, when
angelicized becomes "Hevaghan". Now, in the pre-famine times, up to 80% of
Irish were illiterate. So when people with the proper name (O'Leimheachain)
filled in census forms. it had to be in English. If a family entered
"Hevican", then that name stayed with them in english terms. So any family
with the Hevican name are almost certained to be related, according to
family names of Ireland. published in 1978 by E. Maclysaght.

Does sense?

Jim Murphy <>

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