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Irish surname

Gunning: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Conaing · 'descendant of Conaing'

Woulfe (1923) gives Gunning as an anglicised form of Ó Conaing, 'descendant of Conaing', a branch of the Dal gCais descended from Donnchuan, brother of Brian Boru, who were lords of Aos Greine with their chief seat at Castleconnell, Co. Limerick. He also prints Gunning in brackets under a second Irish name, Ó Gamhnáin. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 12 Gunning entries, principally in Antrim.

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Coat of arms associated with the Gunning surname
Irish formÓ Conaing
Meaning'descendant of Conaing'
CountiesLimerick, Clare, Antrim, Roscommon
Other spellings6

Origin of the Gunning name

Per Woulfe, Ó Conaing was a branch of the Dal gCais descended from Donnchuan, brother of Brian Boru. Before the Anglo-Norman invasion they were lords of Aos Greine, the present barony of Clanwilliam, Co. Limerick, seated at Caislean Ui Chonaing, now Castleconnell; a branch of the Burkes dispossessed them about the beginning of the 13th century.[1]

  1. 1013 (rectè 1014)Four Masters: Conaing, son of Donncuan, 'the son of Brian's brother', slain at Cluaintarbh.[6]
  2. 1032Four Masters: Edru Ua Conaing, royal heir of Munster, slain.[7]
  3. 1751Maria and Elizabeth Gunning were the belles of the London season.[5]
  4. 1752Elizabeth Gunning married the Duke of Hamilton in February 1752; Maria married the Earl of Coventry three weeks afterwards.[5]
  5. 189012 Gunning birth entries in Ireland; principally found in Antrim.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. LimerickÓ Conaing lords of Aos Greine (Clanwilliam), seated at Castleconnell; Woulfe says the name has now entirely disappeared there.[1]
Co. ClareWoulfe says Ó Gamhnáin is anglicised Guning in Clare.[2]
Co. AntrimThe county where Gunning births were principally found in 1890 (7 of 12 entries were in Ulster).[3]
Co. RoscommonJohn Gunning, father of the Gunning sisters, was 'of Castlecoote, in the County of Roscommon' (Webb).[5]

Notable people named Gunning

Maria Gunning, Countess of Coventryc. 1733–1760Celebrated Irish beauty, daughter of John Gunning of Castlecoote, Co. Roscommon; married the Earl of Coventry three weeks after her sister's February 1752 marriage.[5]
Elizabeth Gunning, Duchess of Hamilton and of Argyllc. 1734–1790Married the Duke of Hamilton, then John Campbell, later Duke of Argyll; created Baroness of Hamilton in 1776.[5]

Other spellings

O Gunning · Cunning · Guning · Goonan · Goonane · Gooney[1]

The Gunning coat of arms

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

Gunning crest gifts

Clan Ogunning Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap MW69 Ogunning Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Ogunning Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Ogunning Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapSA48 Classic Cap - Ogunning Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Ogunning Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Gunning Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapDF27 Classic Cap - Gunning Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Gunning Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Gunning Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap UN10 Gunning Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Gunning Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

Gunning surname: questions

What does the surname Gunning mean?

Woulfe gives Gunning as an anglicised form of Ó Conaing, 'descendant of Conaing'. He also prints Gunning in brackets under Ó Gamhnáin, 'descendant of Gamhnán' (a diminutive of gamhain, a calf).[1][2]

Is Gunning an Irish surname?

Woulfe lists Gunning under two Irish names: as an anglicised form of Ó Conaing, a branch of the Dal gCais in Co. Limerick, and in brackets under Ó Gamhnáin, which he says was, according to MacFirbis, a family of Clann Mhuirthuile in Connacht. The sources used here do not say which family the Ulster Gunnings of 1890 came from.[1][2][3]

Where in Ireland is the Gunning name from?

Woulfe places the Ó Conaing family at Castleconnell in Aos Greine (Clanwilliam), Co. Limerick, but says the name has now entirely disappeared from Co. Limerick. In 1890 Gunning births were principally found in Antrim.[1][3]

Who were the Gunning sisters?

Webb describes Maria (Countess of Coventry) and Elizabeth (Duchess of Hamilton and Duchess of Argyll) Gunning as celebrated Irish beauties, born about 1733 and 1734, daughters of John Gunning of Castlecoote, Co. Roscommon.[5]

Sources

  1. Ó Conaing — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-conaing.php
  2. Ó Gamhnáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/og/o-gamhnain.php
  3. Gunning — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/gunning.php
  4. Gunning — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/776.php
  5. Maria Gunning — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/MariaGunning.php
  6. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1013 (rectè 1014) (part 12) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text012.html
  7. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1032 (part 13) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text013.html

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