Hefferon Family History

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hÉimhrín ‘descendant of Éimhrín’ a diminutive of the legendary personal name Éimhear (still in use as the female personal name Emer). This is the name of a prominent Mayo family. The e vowel of the first syllable distinguishes it from Havron which arises from Ó hAmhráin.

Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hUidhrín ‘descendant of Uidhrín’ a personal name from a diminutive of odhar ‘dun sallow swarthy’. Compare McGivern in which the dh of Uidhrín has also been Anglicized by a bilabial rather than a dental fricative.

Where the fricative is lost there has been some confusion with Hearn.

There may also have been some confusion with Heffernan.