Show ContentsConin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Conin

What does the name Conin mean?

The ancient Scottish name Conin is carried by the descendents of the Pictish people. It was a name for a personal name Conan, which means little hound. The name could also be a local name from the land of Conan in Kincardinshire. In this situation, the name would have been a topographic or local surname, which was given to a family who held a barony or lands, had houses, manors or estates in that area.

Early Origins of the Conin family

The surname Conin was first found in Kincardineshire (Gaelic: A' Mhaoirne), a former county on the northeast coast of the Grampian region of Scotland, and part of the Aberdeenshire Council Area since 1996, where Adam filius Conani was probably the first recording of the name in 1292. A few years later, Conan of Balquhidder rendered homage to King Edward I of England on his brief conquest of Scotland in 1296.

Early History of the Conin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Conin research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1608 and 1694 are included under the topic Early Conin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Conin Spelling Variations

When the first dictionaries were invented in the last few hundred years, spelling gradually became standardized. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound. Names were often recorded under different spelling variations every time they were written. Conin has been written Conan, Conane, Conad, Connan, Connant, Conant and others.

Early Notables of the Conin family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Sir Arthur Conant; and Rev. John Conant D.D. (1608-1694), an English clergyman, theologian, and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. He was the "son of Robert and Elizabeth...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Conin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Conin family to Ireland

Some of the Conin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Conin migration to the United States +

The crossing to North America did not seem so great in comparison with the hardships many Scots endured at home. It was long, expensive, and cramped, but also rewarding. North America offered land and the chance for settlers to prove themselves in a new place. And many did prove themselves as they fought to forge a new nation in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of those Scots can now experience much of their once-lost heritage through the Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up across North America in the last century. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Conin:

Conin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Joseph Conin, aged 39, who arrived in New York in 1812 1


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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