Show ContentsChannon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestry of the name Channon dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in Cann, a parish in the county of Dorset. The surname Channon is a palatal form of the surname Canning, of toponymic origin, deriving from the place-name Cann mentioned above. The word palatal is a phonological term. Phonology is the study of sounds used in language. The sounds able to be produced by humans and used in speech are classified into several types: labial, for sounds produced by the lips; dental, for sounds produced by the tongue against the teeth; palatal, for sounds produced by the tongue against the hard palate (found at the roof of the mouth in the front); and uvular, for sounds made at the back of the throat. The translation from the s sound to the sh sound, or the one from c to ch, is known as the palatal translation, for it is accomplished by moving the tongue from the teeth to the hard palate while keeping the tongue in the same form.

Early Origins of the Channon family

The surname Channon was first found in Hertfordshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Channon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Channon research. Another 56 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1086 is included under the topic Early Channon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Channon Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Channon have been found, including Channing, Chaning, Chening, Channings and others.

Early Notables of the Channon family

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


United States Channon migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Channon, or a variant listed above:

Channon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Geo Channon, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 1
Channon Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Miss Beatrice Channon, (b. 1876), aged 27, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Armenian" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 6th October 1903 en route to Chester, Pennsylvania, USA 2

Australia Channon migration to Australia +

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

Channon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • William Channon, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Constantine"

Contemporary Notables of the name Channon (post 1700) +

  • Parker Channon, American co-founder of Duncan/Channon, an advertising agency in San Francisco, California
  • James B. "Jim" Channon (b. 1940), retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, New Age futurologist, and business consultant, author of the First Earth Battalion Operations Manual
  • Sir Henry "Chips" Channon (1897-1958), American-born British Conservative politician, author and diarist, Member of Parliament for Southend West (1935-1950)
  • Michael Roger "Mick" Channon (b. 1948), English former footballer who later became a successful racehorse trainer
  • Ms. Jean Ellen Channon B.E.M., British recipient of Medallist of the British Empire Medal 29th December 2018 for services to the community in South Norwood, London 3
  • Henry Paul Guinness Channon PC (1935-2007), Baron Kelvedon, British politician, Secretary of State for Transport (1987-1989), Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1986-1987), Minister of State for the Arts (1986-1987)

HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Edward J Channon, British Not known, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 4


  1. 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)
  2. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  3. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
  4. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html


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