[1][2][3] Historically, many of their ancestors were poets and scholars who enjoyed the patronage of several chiefly families including O'Conor Don, MacDermott, O'Doherty, O'Gara, and MacDonagh.

[4][5] Members of this family were further ennobled in 1724 by James Francis Edward Stuart (Jacobite pretender to the throne of England and Ireland) during his exile in France.

Earlier scholars traced the origin of the name from the word "knowledge" in Irish, possible linked to the family's early prominence as bards to the Gaelic Kings.

[11] While some members of the family remained in Sligo as tenants on their former lands, others migrated to Spain where they achieved high offices in service to the Spanish Crown.

[citation needed] In 1751, one of their number Ambrose O'Higgins left Summerhill for Cádiz, Spain from where he went to Peru and Chile; he eventually Hispanicized his name to Ambrosio.

He was ennobled by King Charles IV of Spain initially in 1795 as Barón de Ballinar and again in 1796 when he was raised to Marquess of Osorno.

Ambrose O'Higgins' brother, William (who Hispanicized his name to Guillermo) served as a captain in the Spanish Army and colonial administrator in Paraguay.

[citation needed] Sir John Higgins Bt of Monteige, kinsman to the O'Higgins of Ballynary, was knighted and ennobled by James Francis Edward Stuart in 1724 in return for his services to France.