Show ContentsQuinnan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Quinnan was first used as a surname among the descendants of the ancient Scottish people known as the Picts. It was a name for a personal name Conan, which means little hound. The name could also be a local name from the land of Conan in Kincardinshire. In this situation, the name would have been a topographic or local surname, which was given to a family who held a barony or lands, had houses, manors or estates in that area.

Early Origins of the Quinnan family

The surname Quinnan was first found in Kincardineshire (Gaelic: A' Mhaoirne), a former county on the northeast coast of the Grampian region of Scotland, and part of the Aberdeenshire Council Area since 1996, where Adam filius Conani was probably the first recording of the name in 1292. A few years later, Conan of Balquhidder rendered homage to King Edward I of England on his brief conquest of Scotland in 1296.

Early History of the Quinnan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Quinnan research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1608 and 1694 are included under the topic Early Quinnan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Quinnan Spelling Variations

Before the first dictionaries appeared in the last few hundred years, scribes spelled according to sound. spelling variations are common among Scottish names. Quinnan has been spelled Conan, Conane, Conad, Connan, Connant, Conant and others.

Early Notables of the Quinnan family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Sir Arthur Conant; and Rev. John Conant D.D. (1608-1694), an English clergyman, theologian, and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. He was the "son of Robert and Elizabeth...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Quinnan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Quinnan family to Ireland

Some of the Quinnan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Quinnan family

In those unstable times, many had no choice but to leave their beloved homelands. Sickness and poverty hounded travelers to North America, but those who made it were welcomed with land and opportunity. These settlers gave the young nations of Canada and the United States a strong backbone as they stood up for their beliefs as United Empire Loyalists and in the American War of Independence. In this century, the ancestors of these brave Scots have begun to recover their illustrious heritage through Clan societies and other heritage organizations. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Scottish settlers bearing the name Quinnan: Christopher Conant who settled in Plymouth Massachusetts in 1623; as did Roger and his wife in the same year; Roger Conant and his wife settled in Maine in 1623.


Contemporary Notables of the name Quinnan (post 1700) +

  • John P. Quinnan, American politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives from Lackawanna County, 1893 1


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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