714 COONAN members around the world

COONAN Family History

This name, with variant spellings Conan, (O) Cooney, Counihan, Coonihan etc., is an Anglicized form of the old Gaelic O'Cuana or O'Cuanain. The Gaelic prefix "O" indicates "male descendant of", plus the personal byname Cuana(in) from "Cuan", elegant. This great sept originated in the Ulster county of Tyrone, but at an early date migrated westwards to north Connacht and established themselves in county Sligo. Some branches of the sept subsequently moved to the bordering counties of Tipperary and Offaly where the name is found on record i the mid 12th Century, (see below).