Show ContentsConnon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Connon

What does the name Connon mean?

Gaelic, otherwise known as Early Modern Irish, was used in Ireland from around the year 1200 until the 18th century. It is from this language that we found the first references to the name Connon as Ó Concheanainn, possibly meaning "fair headed hound." 1

The family descends from Cuceannan, who was killed in 991. Another reference, claims that the surname could have been derived from MacConceannain, and in this case it was derived from the Irish "conn," a man's personal name + "gan," which means without + "an," which means a "lie," collectively meaning "Conn the speaker of truth." 2

Early Origins of the Connon family

The surname Connon was first found in Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, and Roscommon where they claim descent from the Heremon kings, from the Ui Bruin and more specifically they were derived from Dermot, brother of Murias the 29th King of Connacht who was alive in the 9th century. They claim descendancy from the O'Connors, hence the similarity of the Coat of Arms which both depict a tree at the center point.

Early History of the Connon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Connon research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1640, 1690, 1732, 1748 and 1749 are included under the topic Early Connon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Connon Spelling Variations

The Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period. The following variations for the name Connon were encountered in the archives: Concannon, O'Concannon, Cancannon, Concanon, Cancanon, O'Concanon, Connon and many more.

Early Notables of the Connon family

Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Connon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Connon migration to the United States +

In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Connon family came to North America quite early:

Connon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Connon, who arrived in America in 1805
  • Thomas Connon, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1829
  • James Connon, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1840

Connon migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Connon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Matthew Connon, aged 22, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Ascendant" 3
  • Miss Elizabeth Connon, (Cannon, Keeling, Jones), (b. 1833), aged 18, Irish nurse girl who was convicted in County Armagh, Ireland for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Blackfriar" on 24th January 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
  3. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The ASCENDANT 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Ascendant.htm
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blackfriar


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