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Irish surname

Canavan: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Ceanndubháin · 'descendant of Ceanndubhán' (diminutive of ceanndubh, 'black-head')

Woulfe (1923) gives Canavan as an anglicised form of Ó Ceanndubháin, 'descendant of Ceanndubhán' (diminutive of ceanndubh, 'black-head'), the name of a West Connacht family who, according to MacFirbis, were physicians to Muinntear Murchadha, the clan of which the O'Flahertys were chiefs; the name was also found in Co. Cork and other parts of Ireland. In 1890, Matheson's report counted 26 Canavan birth entries in Ireland including spelling varieties (22 spelled exactly Canavan); no single principal county is given.

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Coat of arms associated with the Canavan surname
Irish formÓ Ceanndubháin
Meaning'descendant of Ceanndubhán' (diminutive of ceanndubh, 'black-head')
Other spellings4

Origin of the Canavan name

Woulfe (1923): Ó Ceanndubháin, 'descendant of Ceanndubhán' (diminutive of ceanndubh, 'black-head'), the name of a West Connacht family who, according to MacFirbis, were physicians to Muinntear Murchadha, the clan of which the O'Flahertys were chiefs; the name was also found in Co. Cork and other parts of Ireland.[1]

  1. 1416Four Masters: John O'Canavan, Parson of Tireragh of the Moy, died.[3]
  2. 189026 entries including spelling varieties (22 spelled Canavan).[2]

Other spellings

O Cannovane · O Kennavain · Cannavan · Kinavan[1]

The Canavan coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Canavan surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Canavan crest gifts

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Canavan surname: questions

What does the surname Canavan mean?

Woulfe glosses Ó Ceanndubháin as 'descendant of Ceanndubhán' (diminutive of ceanndubh, 'black-head').[1]

Where in Ireland is the Canavan name from?

Woulfe describes a West Connacht family, physicians to Muinntear Murchadha (the O'Flahertys' clan), and says the name was also found in Co. Cork and elsewhere; Matheson's 1890 report gives no single principal county.[1][2]

Why has Canavan been translated as Whitehead?

Woulfe says the name has been 'translated' Whitehead even though it really means 'black-head', because the ending was mistaken for bán, 'white'.[1]

Is Canavan an old Irish surname?

The Annals of the Four Masters, in O'Donovan's translation, record under 1416: 'John O'Canavan, Parson of Tireragh of the Moy, died.'[3]

Sources

  1. Ó Ceanndubháin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-ceanndubhain.php
  2. Canavan — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/canavan.php
  3. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1416 — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005D/text005.html

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).