Show ContentsConnelan Surname History

Before Irish names were translated into English, Connelan had a Gaelic form of Ó Conallain or Ó Coinghiollan in Connacht; the name is Ó 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. 1

Early Origins of the Connelan family

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

Early History of the Connelan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Connelan 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 Connelan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Connelan Spelling Variations

The scribes who created documents long before either the Gaelic or English language resembled their standardized versions of today recorded words as they sounded. Consequently, in the Middle Ages the names of many people were recorded under different spellings each time they were written down. Research on the Connelan family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Conlan, Conlin, Conlon, Connelen, Connelon, Connelan, O'Connelen, O'Conlan, O'Conlin, Connellon, Connellan and many more.

Early Notables of the Connelan family

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

Migration of the Connelan family

Under the rule of England, land ownership in Ireland changed dramatically, and many native Irish families found themselves renting out land to farm from absentee owners. This was one of the prime reasons that immigration to North America began in the late 18th century: Irish farmers dreamed of owning their own parcel of land to work for themselves. At this point, the immigrants were at least of modest means for the passage across the Atlantic was often quite dear. In the 1840s the Great Potato Famine created an exodus of people of quite different means. These people were most often destitute: they either sold anything they had to gain a passage or they were sponsored by philanthropic societies. Many of these immigrants were sick from disease and starvation: as a result many did not survive the long transatlantic journey. Although those settlers that did survive were often despised and discriminated against by people already established in these nations, they were critical to rapid development of the powerful industrial nations of the United States and the country that would later become known as Canada. An examination of immigration and passenger lists shows many persons bearing the name of Connelan or one of its variants: Michael Conlon settled in Maryland in 1774; Pat Conlan settled in Canada in 1839; James Conlin settled in Philadelphia in 1846; the family also settled in Massachusetts, New York, and Maryland in the 19th century..



  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)


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