Home › Irish Surnames › Bannon

Irish surname

Bannon: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Banáin · 'descendant of Banán' (a diminutive of bán, white)

Woulfe (1923) gives Bannon as one of the anglicised forms of Ó Banáin, 'descendant of Banán' (a diminutive of bán, white). He names several distinct families of the name, the best-known and most numerous being that of Ely O'Carroll, in the present Offaly, with other families seated in Mayo and Fermanagh. The Annals of the Four Masters record several churchmen called Ua Banain / O'Banan between the 10th and 14th centuries. In 1890, 23 Bannon birth entries including spelling varieties were recorded in Ireland (21 spelled Bannon), principally in Tipperary.

Shop Bannon crest giftsRead the history
Coat of arms associated with the Bannon surname
Irish formÓ Banáin
Meaning'descendant of Banán' (a diminutive of bán, white)
CountiesOffaly, Tipperary, Mayo, Fermanagh
Other spellings10
Welcome offer $10 off orders of $20 or more with code WELCOME10 One use per customer. Cannot be combined with other offers.

Bannon crest gifts

Clan Bannon Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap LB21 Bannon Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Bannon Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45Clan Bannon Coat Of Arms II Irisharms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapPH94 Classic Cap - Bannon Coat Of Arms II Irisharms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Bannon Coat Of Arms II Irisharms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Clan Bannon Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapFZ67 Classic Cap - Bannon Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Bannon Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Clan Bannon Coat Of Arms II Irisharms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap CZ13 Bannon Coat Of Arms II Irisharms Irish Cap Bannon Coat Of Arms II Irisharms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45Bannon Irish coat of arms glass ornaments, heart and round, hanging on a Christmas treeBannon Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Glass Ornament$24.99Bannon Irish coat of arms acrylic ornament hanging on a Christmas treeBannon Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Ornament$19.99

Origin of the Bannon name

Woulfe: several distinct families of Ó Banáin; the best-known and most numerous was that of Ely O'Carroll, now Co. Offaly. Other families of the name were seated in Mayo and Fermanagh.[1]

  1. 966Four Masters: Ceallach Ua Banain, successor of Comhghall, in the year's obituary list.[4]
  2. 1128Four Masters: Ua Banain, successor of Cronan of Ros-Cre, in the year's obituary list.[5]
  3. 1174Four Masters: Maelpatrick O'Banan, Bishop of Connor and Dalaradia, dies.[6]
  4. 1319Four Masters: O'Banan, Bishop of Clogher, dies.[7]
  5. 189023 Bannon entries including spelling varieties recorded in Ireland (21 spelled Bannon).[2]

Where in Ireland

Co. OffalyEly O'Carroll, home of the best-known and most numerous Ó Banáin family (Woulfe).[1]
Co. Tipperary1890: counties in which Bannon was principally found (Matheson).[2]
Co. MayoWoulfe names a further family of the name seated here.[1]
Co. FermanaghWoulfe names a further family of the name seated here.[1]

Notable people named Bannon

Maelpatrick O'Banand. 1174Bishop of Connor and Dalaradia; Four Masters call him 'a venerable man, full of sanctity, meekness, and purity of heart'.[6]

Other spellings

O Banane · O Bannan · O Bynnan · Banan · Bannan · Banim · Banin · Bannen · Bannin · Banon[1]

The Bannon coat of arms

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

Bannon surname: questions

What does the surname Bannon mean?

Woulfe gives Bannon as an anglicised form of Ó Banáin, 'descendant of Banán', a diminutive of bán, meaning white.[1]

Where in Ireland does the Bannon name come from?

Woulfe names several distinct Ó Banáin families, the best-known in Ely O'Carroll (now Co. Offaly), with others in Mayo and Fermanagh; in 1890 the name was principally found in Tipperary.[1][2]

Is Bannon related to the surname White?

Woulfe lists 'White' as a translation of Ó Banáin (bán means white) alongside the anglicised forms Banane, Bannan, Bannon and others.[1]

Were there any historical O'Banans?

The Annals of the Four Masters record several churchmen called Ua Banain or O'Banan, including bishops of Clogher and of Connor and Dalaradia, between the 10th and 14th centuries.[4][5][6][7]

Sources

  1. Ó Banáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ob/o-banain.php
  2. Bannon — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/bannon.php
  3. Bannon — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), list no. 60, transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/60.php
  4. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), M966 — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text007.html
  5. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), M1128 — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text023.html
  6. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), M1174 — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text001.html
  7. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), M1319 — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text015.html

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