Show ContentsConnen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Connen comes from the Irish surname Ó Cuanain (O'Conein and MacConein) and is derived from the Irish Cuinin for "rabbit", son of Dugal. They claim descendancy through the Donnelly line of the native Irish. 1

Early Origins of the Connen family

The surname Connen was first found in County Tipperary (Irish: Thiobraid Árann), established in the 13th century in South-central Ireland, in the province of Munster, where Isaac O Cuanain was Bishop of Roscrea from 1161 to 1168. But the name was scattered throughout Ireland, some bearers being recorded in Kildare and the surrounding counties in the 16th century.

Bearers of the name Connen were also present in County Sligo, where O'Cunane was a principal Irish name in the census of 1659. The two baronies of County Leitrim which border County Sligo, had the name O'Conan listed in the same census.

Early History of the Connen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Connen research. Another 62 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1666 is included under the topic Early Connen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Connen Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Conan, Coonan, Coonane, O'Conan, O'Cunane and others.

Early Notables of the Connen family

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


Australia Connen migration to Australia +

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

Connen Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Sarah Connen, (Connon), Scottish convict who was convicted in Aberdeen, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth and Henry" on 14th September 1846, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 2


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth-and-henry


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