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Irish surname

Cantwell: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

de Canntual, de Cantual · 'of Cantwell,' or 'Kentwell,' a spot somewhere in England

Woulfe (1923) gives Cantwell as de Canntual or de Cantual, meaning 'of Cantwell' or 'Kentwell', a spot somewhere in England. He says the family came to Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion and settled in Kilkenny and Tipperary, where they obtained large grants of land from the Butlers.

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Coat of arms associated with the Cantwell surname
Irish formde Canntual, de Cantual
Meaning'of Cantwell,' or 'Kentwell,' a spot somewhere in England
CountiesKilkenny, Tipperary

Origin of the Cantwell name

Woulfe: the family came to Ireland at the Anglo-Norman invasion and settled in Kilkenny and Tipperary, 'where they obtained large grants of land from the Butlers.' The original seat was Cantwell's Court, about four miles north-east of Kilkenny.[1]

  1. 1729Andrew Cantwell, born in Co. Tipperary, takes his degree at Montpelier.[3]
  2. 1764Andrew Cantwell dies in Paris, 11 July.[3]
  3. 189015 Cantwell birth entries in Ireland: Leinster 8, Munster 7.[2]

Where in Ireland

Co. KilkennyWoulfe: the family settled here; seat at Cantwell's Court, about four miles north-east of Kilkenny.[1]
Co. TipperaryWoulfe: settled here too; Matheson 1890: 'Tipperary and Dublin' principally found.[1][2]

Notable people named Cantwell

Andrew Cantwelld. 1764Born in Co. Tipperary; physician and professor in Paris, Fellow of the Royal Society; opponent of inoculation for small-pox.[3]

The Cantwell coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Cantwell 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.

Cantwell crest gifts

Clan Cantwell Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapXS11 Classic Cap - Cantwell Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Cantwell Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Cantwell surname: questions

Is Cantwell an Irish or a Norman name?

Woulfe gives it as de Canntual, 'of Cantwell', a spot somewhere in England, and says the family came to Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion.[1]

Where is the Cantwell family from in Ireland?

Woulfe says they settled in Kilkenny and Tipperary and that the original seat was Cantwell's Court, about four miles north-east of Kilkenny. Matheson's 1890 index gives 'Tipperary and Dublin' as the counties in which the name was principally found.[1][2]

Who gave the Cantwells their land in Ireland?

Woulfe says the Cantwells obtained large grants of land from the Butlers in Kilkenny and Tipperary.[1]

Is there a famous Cantwell?

Webb's 1878 Compendium of Irish Biography has an entry for Andrew Cantwell, M.D., born in Co. Tipperary, who became a physician and professor in Paris and a Fellow of the Royal Society of London; he died in Paris on 11 July 1764.[3]

Sources

  1. de Canntual, de Cantual — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923), transcribed), LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/de-canntual-de-cantual.php
  2. Cantwell — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/cantwell.php
  3. Cantwell, Andrew — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/AndrewCantwell.php

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