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Irish surname

Canning: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Cainín / Ó Canáin / Ó Canann / Mac Coinín (four separate Woulfe entries) · Woulfe prints Canning under four entries: 'descendant of Cainín' (Ó Cainín); 'descendant of Canán' (Ó Canáin); 'descendant of Cano' (wolf-cub, whelp) (Ó Canann); 'son of Coinín' (Mac Coinín)

Woulfe (1923) prints Canning among the anglicised forms of four different Irish names: Ó Cainín, Ó Canáin, Ó Canann and Mac Coinín. He says of the Mac Coinín name that there are 'no doubt, several distinct families so called'. In 1890, 15 of the 25 Canning birth entries in Ireland were in Ulster, with Londonderry named as the county in which principally found.

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Coat of arms associated with the Canning surname
Irish formÓ Cainín / Ó Canáin / Ó Canann / Mac Coinín (four separate Woulfe entries)
MeaningWoulfe prints Canning under four entries: 'descendant of Cainín' (Ó Cainín); 'descendant of Canán' (Ó Canáin); 'descendant of Cano' (wolf-cub, whelp) (Ó Canann); 'son of Coinín' (Mac Coinín)
CountiesLondonderry, Galway, Mayo
Other spellings3
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Canning crest gifts

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Origin of the Canning name

Woulfe lists Canning under four entries: Ó Cainín ('a rare midland surname'); Ó Canáin (a branch of the Ui Maine in Co. Galway, same stock as the O'Maddens); Ó Canann ('an old Tirconnell surname'); Mac Coinín (Mac Coinins of Mayo, anciently seated in Erris). Each is given separately.[1][2][3][4]

  1. 1771George Canning, author, dies in the Temple, London (Webb).[7]
  2. 189025 Canning birth entries in Ireland: Ulster 15, Connaught 5, Leinster 3, Munster 2.[5]

Where in Ireland

Co. LondonderryMatheson's 'principally found' county for Canning in 1890; 15 of 25 entries were in Ulster.[5]
Co. GalwayWoulfe: the Ó Canáin branch of the Ui Maine was in Co. Galway.[2]
Co. MayoWoulfe: the Mac Coinins of Mayo were anciently seated in Erris.[4]

Notable people named Canning

George Canningd. 1771Webb: 'an author, an Irishman', who appears to have taken his B.A. at the University of Dublin in 1754; died in the Temple, London; father of 'the great George Canning'.[7]

Other spellings

Caning · Canon · Kenning[1][6]

The Canning coat of arms

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

Canning surname: questions

What does the surname Canning mean in Irish?

Woulfe prints Canning under four Irish names: Ó Cainín, 'descendant of Cainín'; Ó Canáin, 'descendant of Canán', probably a diminutive of cano, a wolf-cub; Ó Canann, 'descendant of Cano' (wolf-cub, whelp); and Mac Coinín, 'son of Coinín'.[1][2][3][4]

Where in Ireland is the Canning name from?

Woulfe places the Ó Canáin branch of the Ui Maine in Co. Galway, calls Ó Canann an old Tirconnell surname and Ó Cainín a rare midland surname, and puts the Mac Coinins of Mayo anciently in Erris. In 1890, Matheson gives Londonderry as the county in which Canning was principally found.[1][2][3][4][5]

Are all Cannings one family?

Woulfe does not say so. He prints Canning under four separate Irish names, and says of Mac Coinín that there are no doubt several distinct families so called.[4]

Is Canning the same as Cannon?

Woulfe prints both Canning and Cannon among the forms of Ó Canáin and Ó Canann. Matheson's 1901 list prints Cannon in brackets under Canning, which is a cross-reference rather than a plain variant.[2][3][6]

Sources

  1. Ó Cainín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-cainin.php
  2. Ó Canáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-canain.php
  3. Ó Canann — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-canann.php
  4. Mac Coinín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-coinin.php
  5. Canning — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/canning.php
  6. Canning — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/228.php
  7. Canning, George — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/GeorgeCanning.php

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