The Cavanaugh name comes from a denotation of St. Caomhan. The first members of the Cavanaugh family came to the United States in the early part of the 19th century. Since then, the family has spread out across the country, and the spelling of the name or variations of the name have changed. Alternative spellings include, Kavanaugh, Keevan, Cavanaw, Kavanaw, Cavenaugh, Cavanough, Cavaneagh, Cavana, Cavena, Cavinaugh, Kavina, Kavena, Kavanaugh, Cavanach, Kavanach, Cabenagh, O'Cavanagh, O'Kavanagh.

My family settled in Butte, Montana in 1925. My grandfather was the fire chief and my grandmother owned a bakery. They had five children, my father being the youngest. At the age of 24 my fathered married into the Zahn family, and he and my mother left Montana. They moved around the country for several years with their three children, and finally settled in Anacortes, Washington in 1995.