Show ContentsO'Banion History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The O'Banion name is derived from the Gaelic ó Banàin, though there has been much confusion about this name involving the Irish Gaelic word bàn, which means "white."

Early Origins of the O'Banion family

The surname O'Banion was first found in the barony of Clonisk, in the southern tip of County Offaly (Irish: Uíbh Fháilí) originally the Kingdom of Uí Failghe, located in central Ireland in the Province of Leinster, where a Medieval Sept of this name was found.

Early History of the O'Banion family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Banion research. Another 140 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1152, 1172, 1316, 1319, 1585, 1659, 1796, 1798, 1842 and 1865 are included under the topic Early O'Banion History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Banion Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Banain, O'Bannon, Banim, O'Bannaghan, Bannaghan, O'Banan and many more.

Early Notables of the O'Banion family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early O'Banion Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Banion Ranking

In the United States, the name O'Banion is the 12,994th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States O'Banion migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

O'Banion Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Agnes O'Banion, aged 31, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "General G. W. Goethals" from Cristobal, C.Z. 2
  • Jean O'Banion, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "General G. W. Goethals" from Cristobal, C.Z. 2
  • Louis O'Banion, aged 29, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "General G. W. Goethals" from Cristobal, C.Z. 2

Contemporary Notables of the name O'Banion (post 1700) +

  • Charles Dean O'Banion (1892-1924), better known as Dion O'Banion, the American mobster, the main rival of Johnny Torrio and Al Capone, he led the North Side Gang until 1924, when he was murdered
  • John O'Banion (1947-2007), American vocalist and actor, lead singer in Doc Severinsen's band, "Today's Children"


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


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