Show ContentsKinahan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Kinahan surname comes from a proud and ancient past. The name Kinahan appeared originally in Gaelic as O Connachtain.

Early Origins of the Kinahan family

The surname Kinahan was first found in County Sligo (Irish: Sligeach), in the province of Connacht in Northwestern Ireland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Kinahan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kinahan research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kinahan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kinahan Spelling Variations

Names from the Middle Ages demonstrate many spelling variations. This is because the recording scribe or church official often decided as to how a person's name was spelt and in what language. Research into the name Kinahan revealed many variations, including Cunigan, Conigan, Cunnigan, Conaghan, Conaughan, O'Cunigan, O'Conaghan, Connaghan, Connaughan, Kinneghan, Kinnegan and many more.

Early Notables of the Kinahan family

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


United States Kinahan migration to the United States +

To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Kinahan or a variant listed above, including:

Kinahan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Kinahan, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from Queensland, in 1892
Kinahan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Maria Kinahan, aged 58, who landed in America from Tullamore, in 1902
  • Francis Kinahan, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States from Cork, Ireland, in 1907
  • Patrick Kinahan, aged 24, who settled in America from Clara, Ireland, in 1908
  • Thomas Kinahan, aged 20, who landed in America from Clara, Ireland, in 1908
  • Anne Kinahan, aged 46, who immigrated to the United States from Honnybrook, Ireland, in 1910
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Kinahan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kinahan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Ms. Sarah Kinahan, aged 20 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Wellington" departing 29th July 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 20th September 1847 but she died on board [1]

Contemporary Notables of the name Kinahan (post 1700) +

  • George Henry Kinahan M.R.I.A., (1829-1908), Irish geologist and archaeologist
  • Kevin Kinahan (b. 1971), retired Irish hurler from Clareen, County Offaly
  • Sir Robert George Caldwell "Robin" Kinahan (1916-1997), Northern Irish politician, businessman and a senior member of the Orange Order in Northern Ireland
  • Charles Kinahan (1915-1995), Northern Ireland politician
  • Daniel de Burgh Kinahan MLA, Ulster Unionist Party politician from Northern Ireland


  1. 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. 83)


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