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Cronin History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Cronin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The name Cronin has undergone many variations in the time that has passed since its genesis. In Gaelic it appeared as "O Croinin," which derives from the word "cron," which meant "brown" or "dark." 1

Early Origins of the Cronin family

The surname Cronin was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster.

Saint Crónán (died 640) was the abbot-bishop and patron of the diocese of Roscrea. His feasy day is April 28th. Mo Chua or Crónán mac Bécáin (died 637) was the founder of Balla, which later merged into that of Tuam, Ireland. Apparently the two were not related.

Temple Cronan is a ruined medieval chapel built near a holy well in the Burren, County Clare, Ireland. It dates from the 12th century and may have been originally built to serve as a pagan temple. The building looks to have been renovated in the 15th century, but it is thought that this stone structure replaced a wooden structure that is thought to have been founded by Saint Cronan.

Early History of the Cronin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cronin research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1172 and 1659 are included under the topic Early Cronin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cronin Spelling Variations

One name was often recorded under several different spellings during the life of its bearer because one must realize that attempting to record a Gaelic name in English is a daunting task at the best of times. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origin of the Cronin family name include Cronin, Cronyn, Cronine, Croynin, Cronan, Cronnin, Cronnan, Cronnyn, Cronen, O'Cronin, Croynan and many more.

Early Notables of the Cronin family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

Cronin of County Cork

Cronin Ranking

In the United States, the name Cronin is the 2,016^th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 2

Cronin migration to the United States +

The 18th and 19th centuries saw many Irish families immigrate to North America in search of land and opportunities. The largest influx of Irish immigrants to the United States and British North America came during the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine laid waste to their homeland. Hundreds of thousands left the island in an attempt to escape the starvation and disease it brought. Although the arrival of such a large number of destitute Irish was not welcomed by the established population in the United States and what would become known as Canada at the time, these Irish were an essential element to the rapid development of these growing industrial nations. They filled the demand for the cheap labor needed for the work in factories and in the construction of bridges, roads, canals, and railways. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many immigrants bearing the name of Cronin or one of its variants:

Cronin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johannes Cronin who settled in Philadelphia in 1738

Cronin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Stephen Cronin, who arrived in America in 1811 3
Timothy Cronin, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1828 3
Daniel Cronin, who landed in Mobile County, Ala in 1837 3
Michael Cronin, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 3
John Cronin, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1849 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cronin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cronin Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Denis Cronin, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1829
John Cronin, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the barque "Pallas" from Cork, Ireland
Martin Cronin, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Ann & Mary" from Cork, Ireland
Dennis Cronin, aged 29, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Matilda" from Cork, Ireland
Johanna Cronin, aged 21, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Matilda" from Cork, Ireland
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cronin migration to Australia +

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

Cronin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Cronin, (b. 1799), aged 23, Irish reaper who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 3rd September 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
Mr. Timothy Cronin, (Crownan), (b. 1798), aged 24, Irish tobacco spinner who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 3rd September 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
John Cronin, a tanner, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mr. Thadie Cronin, (b. 1821), aged 14, Irish errand boy who was convicted in County Kerry, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Blackwell" on 29th September 1835, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. Denis Cronin, (Dinnis, Cronan), (b. 1814), aged 24, Irish groom who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 11th May 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1839 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cronin 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:

Cronin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Patrick Cronin, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
Patrick Cronin, aged 38, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Birman" in 1842
Mary Cronin, aged 36, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Birman" in 1842
Timothy Cronin, aged 11, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Birman" in 1842
Mary Cronin, aged 9, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Birman" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Cronin (post 1700) +

James Watson Cronin (1931-2016), American particle physicist, laureate of the Nobel Prize in Physics (1980)
Justin R. Cronin (1980-2020), American politician, Member of the South Dakota Senate (2017-2019)
Richard Burton "Rich" Cronin (1974-2010), American singer and songwriter, best known for being the lead singer and primary songwriter for the pop group Lyte Funkie Ones
Kevin Cronin (b. 1951), American lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and occasional pianist for the American rock band, REO Speedwagon
Cornelius Cronin (1838-1912), American sailor who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the American Civil War
Paul Cronin (1938-2019), Australian five-time Silver Logie Award winning actor, best known for his roles in Matlock Police and The Sullivans
Vincent Cronin (b. 1924), British historical, cultural, and biographical writer
John Desmond Cronin (1916-1986), British surgeon and politician
Colonel Henry Francis Cronin CBE (1894-1977), British civil engineer and army officer
Archibald Joseph Cronin (1896-1981), Scottish novelist and physician, author of "The Keys of the Kingdom"

Historic Events for the Cronin family +

Senghenydd colliery

Mr. Thomas Cronin (b. 1887), Welsh coal miner from Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blackwell
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde