Show ContentsCantlin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Norman Conquest of Ireland lead by Strongbow introduced the first non-Gaelic elements into Irish nomenclature. These Anglo-Normans brought some traditions to Ireland that were not readily found within Gaelic system of hereditary surnames. One of the best examples of this is the local surname. Local surnames, such as Cantlin, were taken from the name of a place or a geographical feature where the person lived, held land, or was born. These surnames were very common in England, but were almost non-existent within Ireland previous to the conquest. The earliest surnames of this type came from Normandy, but as the Normans moved, they often created names in reference to where they actually resided. Therefore, some settlers eventually took names from Irish places. Originally, these place names were prefixed by de, which means from in French. This type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or was eliminated entirely. The Cantlin family originally lived in the place called Cauntelo in Northern France. Early medieval deeds record the surname Cantlin as de Cantelupo, the Latin equivalent of the Norman name de Cauntelo. Before their migration to Ireland, the Cantlin family spent a long period in England. The shrine of St. Thomas de Cantelupe, who was the last English saint canonized prior to the Reformation, is in Hereford Cathedral.

Early Origins of the Cantlin family

The surname Cantlin was first found in County Kerry (Irish:Ciarraí) part of the former County Desmond (14th-17th centuries), located in Southwestern Ireland, in Munster province, where they held a family seat at Ballyheige where they had been granted lands after the Norman invasion in 1172 by Strongbow.

As one would expect, not all of the family moved to Ireland. Bingley in the West Riding of Yorkshire was an ancient family seat. "This place is one of the thirty two lordships granted by the Conqueror to Erneis de Berun, from whose descendants it was conveyed to the Paganells and the Gants, and afterwards to the Cantilupe family." [1]

On the infamous side, Fulk de Cantelo, Canteleo, Cantelupe, Cantilupe (fl. 1209), "is mentioned by Wendover as one of John's evil counsellors. After the election of Stephen Langton as archbishop he was sent by John to expel the Canterbury monks, and the lands of the see were put under his charge." [2]

Roger de Cantelupe (fl. 1248), legist, son of Roger de Cantelupe, was hanged for treason in 1225. [2]

George de Cantelupe (d. 1273), was son of William, the third Baron Cantelupe (d. 1254), is styled Baron of Bergavenny. He was knighted by Henry III in 1272, on the occasion of the marriage of Edmund of Cornwall. He was put into possession of his lands on 23 April 1273, but died the following November. His sister Joanna married Henry of Hastings. [2]

Early History of the Cantlin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cantlin research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1299, 1680 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Cantlin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cantlin Spelling Variations

During an investigation of the origin of each name, it was found that church officials and medieval scribes spelled many surnames as they sounded. Therefore, during the lifetime of a single person, a name could be spelt numerous ways. Some of the spelling variations for the name Cantlin include Cantillon, Cantilon, Cantlin, Cantilupe, Cantlowe, Cantelowe, Cantell, Cantillion, Cantlon, Cantlow and many more.

Early Notables of the Cantlin family

Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cantlin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Cantlin migration to the United States +

A great number of Irish families left their homeland in the late 18th century and throughout the 19th century, migrating to such far away lands as Australia and North America. The early settlers left after much planning and deliberation. They were generally well off but they desired a tract of land that they could farm solely for themselves. The great mass of immigrants to arrive on North American shores in the 1840s differed greatly from their predecessors because many of them were utterly destitute, selling all they had to gain a passage on a ship or having their way paid by a philanthropic society. These Irish people were trying to escape the aftermath of the Great Potato Famine: poverty, starvation, disease, and, for many, ultimately death. Those that arrived on North American shores were not warmly welcomed by the established population, but they were vital to the rapid development of the industry, agriculture, and infrastructure of the infant nations of the United States and what would become Canada. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Irish settlers bearing the name Cantlin:

Cantlin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Patrick Cantlin, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1857

Australia Cantlin migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Cantlin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Richard Cantlin, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Candahar" on 26th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [3]


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/candahar


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