Cooney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Today's Irish surnames are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Cooney originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Cuana, probably derived from "cuan," which means elegant. 1
Early Origins of the Cooney family
The surname Cooney was first found in Tyrone (Irish:Tír Eoghain), the ancient territory of the O'Neills, now in the Province of Ulster, central Northern Ireland, and later migrated to north Connacht.
Early History of the Cooney family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cooney research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Cooney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Cooney Spelling Variations
Just like the English language, the Gaelic language of Ireland was not standardized in the Middle Ages. Therefore, one's name was often recorded under several different spellings during the life of its bearer. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origins of the Cooney family name include Cooney, O'Cooney, Counihan and others.
Early Notables of the Cooney family
Notable amongst the family name at this time was
- Diarmid O'Cuana, who was known as "the great priest of Elphin" and more recently Mary Cooney was an noted Irish poetess well regarded both in Ireland and America in the late 19th century
Cooney Ranking
In the United States, the name Cooney is the 2,880th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 2
Cooney migration to the United States +
Death and immigration greatly reduced Ireland's population in the 19th century. For the native Irish people poverty, hunger, and racial prejudice was common. Therefore, thousands left their homeland to seek opportunity in North America. Those who survived the journey and the quarantine camps to which they arrived, were instrumental towards building the strong developing nations of the United States and the future Canada. By far, the largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These were employed as construction or factory workers. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has shown early immigrants bearing the name Cooney:
Cooney Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- John Cooney, who arrived in Alexandria, Va in 1784 3
Cooney Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Bryan Cooney, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1811 3
- Patrick Cooney, who arrived in New York in 1834 3
- Francis Cooney, aged 28, who landed in Missouri in 1841 3
- Part Cooney, aged 12, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 3
- Pan Cooney, aged 30, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 3
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Cooney migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Cooney Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- Patrick Cooney, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Hibernia" from Kinsale, Ireland
- William Cooney, aged 18, a tailor, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Hibernia" from Kinsale, Ireland
- Norry Cooney, aged 25, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Hibernia" from Kinsale, Ireland
- Thomas Cooney, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Reward" from Cork, Ireland
- Mrs. Catherine Cooney, aged 22 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Goliah" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 4
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Cooney migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Cooney Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. Jeffrey Cooney, Irish convict who was convicted in Kings County, Ireland for 7 years for being a Political prisoner, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
- Mr. William Cooney, (Cogan), (b. 1804), aged 18, Irish errand boy who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 3rd September 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
- John Cooney, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "Cygnet" in 1836 7
- Mr. John Cooney, (b. 1808), aged 36, Irish farm labourer who was convicted in Roscommon, Ireland for 14 years for house robbery, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 9th April 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
- Mr. Patrick Cooney, (b. 1805), aged 40, Irish farm labourer who was convicted in Westmeath, Ireland for 14 years for rioting, transported aboard the "Elizabeth and Henry" on 15th February 1845, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), son aboard with him 9
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Cooney migration to New Zealand +
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:
Cooney Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr. John Cooney, (b. 1854), aged 24, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Western Monarch" arriving in New Zealand in 1879 10
Contemporary Notables of the name Cooney (post 1700) +
- Terrance Joseph "Terry" Cooney (1933-2022), American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League (AL) from 1974 to 1992
- Patrick Ronald Cooney (1934-2012), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, the third Bishop of Gaylord
- James Cooney (1860-1903), Irish-born, American marine who received the Medal of Honor for bravery for his actions in the Boxer Rebellion
- Mark Joseph Cooney (b. 1951), American NFL linebacker
- James C. Cooney (d. 1800), American Sergeant of the U.S. Army who found large silver and gold reserves in the Mogollon Mountains of Catron County, New Mexico in the late 1800s
- Gerry Cooney (b. 1956), retired American professional boxer from Huntington, New York
- Barbara Cooney (1917-2000), American two-time Caldecott Medalist children's author and illustrator of more than 200 books
- Joan Ganz Cooney (b. 1929), American television producer, one of the founder of Children's Television Workshop, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Walter R Cooney, American astronomer, discoverer of over 33 minor planets
- Jimmy Cooney (1955-2023), Irish hurler who played as a left corner-back at senior level for the Galway county team
- ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Cooney family +
Pemberton Mill
- Miss Catherine Cooney, (Kate), factory worker in the Pemberton Mill on 10th January 1860 when the mill collapsed trapping 900 workers as rescue attempts continued into the night, an oil lantern was knocked over further engulfing the trapped workers in fire, she initally survived with severe burns but later died
- Mr. Michael Cooney Jr., English Fireman from Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 11
- Mr. Michael Cooney Sr., English Fireman from Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 11
SS Atlantic
- Mr. John Cooney, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
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)
- Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 21)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Cygnet arrived Holdfast Bay, Adealide Sept. 11, 1836. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1836Cygnet.htm
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cadet/
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth-and-henry
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/