Carnahan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The original Gaelic form of the name Carnahan is Ó Cearnachain, which is derived from the word "cearnach," which means "victorious." 1

Early Origins of the Carnahan family

The surname Carnahan was first found in County Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland in the province of Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Carnahan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carnahan research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Carnahan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carnahan Spelling Variations

Numerous spelling variations of the surname Carnahan exist. A partial explanation for these variants is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. Different spellings that were found include Kernahan, Kernaghan, Carnahan, Carnaghan and others.

Early Notables of the Carnahan family

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

Carnahan Ranking

In the United States, the name Carnahan is the 3,267^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 2

Carnahan migration to the United States +

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish migrating out of their homeland in a great measure due to the oppressive imperial policies of the English government and landowners. Many of these Irish families sailed to North America aboard overcrowded passenger ships. By far, the largest influx of Irish immigrants to North America occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These particular immigrants were instrumental in creation of the United States and Canada as major industrial nations because the many essential elements such as the roadways, canals, bridges, and railways required an enormous quantity of cheap labor, which these poor immigrants provided. Later generations of Irish in these countries also went on to make valuable contributions in such fields as the arts, commerce, politics, and education. Extensive research into immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Carnahan:

Carnahan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Carnahan, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1807 3
Alexander Carnahan, who landed in Philadelphia in 1809
John Carnahan, who landed in Philadelphia in 1842
Robert Carnahan, who landed in Philadelphia in 1848
Samuel Carnahan, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Carnahan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Carnahan Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Joseph Carnahan U.E. who settled in Midland District [Frontenac & Lennox and Addington], Ontario c. 1783 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Carnahan (post 1700) +

Jean Anne Carnahan (1933-2024), American politician and writer
Robert H. Carnahan, American Union brevet brigadier general during the period of the American Civil War
Herschel L. Carnahan (1879-1941), American politician, 30th Lieutenant Governor of California, 1928-1931
Andrew Carnahan (b. 1983), American football offensive tackle for the New York Giants
James Carnahan (1775-1859), American clergyman and educator, ninth President of Princeton University
Matthew McNair Carnahan (b. 1961), American producer, writer and director
Matthew "Matt" Michael Carnahan, American screenwriter
Albert Sidney Johnson Carnahan (1897-1968), American politician
Joseph Aaron "Joe" Carnahan (b. 1969), American independent film director, screenwriter, producer and actor
Jean Anne Carpenter Carnahan (b. 1933), American politician and writer
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
"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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X