Show ContentsConlan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Before Irish names were translated into English, Conlan had a Gaelic form of O Conallain or O Coinghiollan in Connacht; the name is O Caoindealbhain in Munster and Leinster. Connal or Connall is claimed to be a pet name for a sprout or little sprout; a term of affection or endearment.

Early Origins of the Conlan family

The surname Conlan was first found in Munster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Conlan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Conlan research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1247, 1260, 1492, 1508, 1620 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Conlan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Conlan Spelling Variations

One explanation for the many variations is that scribes and church officials frequently spelled the name as it sounded: an imprecise method at best. Understandably then, various spellings of the surname Conlan were found in the many archives researched. These included Conlan, Conlin, Conlon, Connelen, Connelon, Connelan, O'Connelen, O'Conlan, O'Conlin, Connellon, Connellan and many more.

Early Notables of the Conlan family

More information is included under the topic Early Conlan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Conlan Ranking

In the United States, the name Conlan is the 17,404th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Conlan migration to the United States +

Suffering from poverty and racial discrimination, thousands of Irish families left the island in the 19th century for North America aboard cramped passenger ships. The early migrants became settlers of small tracts of land, and those that came later were often employed in the new cities or transitional work camps. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Although the immigrants from this period were often maligned when they arrived in the United States, they provided the cheap labor that was necessary for the development of that country as an industrial power. Early immigration and passenger lists have revealed many immigrants bearing the name Conlan:

Conlan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Bernard Conlan, who arrived in New York in 1844 [2]
  • Miss Conlan, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 [2]
  • Andrew Conlan, aged 25, who landed in New York in 1854 [2]
  • Martin Conlan, aged 24, who arrived in New York, NY in 1855 [2]
  • John Conlan, who landed in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1860 [2]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Conlan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Conlan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Charles Conlan, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Ugoni" from Belfast, Ireland
  • Patrick Conlan, aged 23, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Preston" from Sligo, Ireland
  • Celia Conlan, aged 18, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Preston" from Sligo, Ireland
  • Pat Conlan, who settled in Canada in 1839
  • Miss. Catherine Conlan, aged 4 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "John Francis" Cork, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in June 1847 [3]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Conlan migration to Australia +

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

Conlan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Matthew Conlan, aged 45, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" [4]
  • Patrick Conlan, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Epaminondas" [5]
  • Rose Conlan, aged 18, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Trafalgar" [6]
  • Patrick Conlan, Scottish convict from Glasgow, who was transported aboard the "Adelaide" on April 16, 1855, settling in Western Australia [7]
  • James Conlan, aged 25, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "David McIvor"

New Zealand Conlan migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Conlan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Richard Conlan, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • Richard Conlan, aged 27, a farm labourer, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "London" in 1842
  • Mary Conlan, aged 26, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "London" in 1842
  • Ellen Conlan, aged 1, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "London" in 1842
  • Mr. Anthony Conlan, British settler, as the 2nd Detachment of New Zealand Corps of Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Minerva" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th October 1847 [8]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Conlan (post 1700) +

  • John Bertrand "Jocko" Conlan (1899-1989), American outfielder and umpire in Major League Baseball
  • Bernard Conlan (b. 1923), British Labour Party politician
  • Michael "Mick" Conlan (b. 1958), former Australian rules footballer

HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Charles Edward Conlan, British Telegraphist, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking [9]


The Conlan Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Inter Utrumque
Motto Translation: Between the two.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 19)
  4. South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PHOEBE DUNBAR 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/phoebedunbar1852.shtml
  5. South Australian Register Monday 26th December 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Epaminondas 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/epaminondas1853.shtml
  6. South Australian Register Thursday 29th June 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Trafalgar 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/trafalgar1854.shtml
  7. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 17) Adelaide voyage to Western Australia, Australia in 1855 with 261 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adelaide/1855
  8. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  9. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


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