Caunton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Etymology of Caunton

When the Anglo-Normans began to settle in Ireland, they brought the tradition of local surnames to an island which already had a Gaelic naming system of hereditary surnames established. Local surnames, such as Caunton, were formed from the names of a place or a geographical landmark where a person lived, held land, or was born. The earliest Anglo-Norman surnames of this type came from Normandy, but as the Normans moved, they created names that referred to where they actually resided. Originally, these place names were prefixed by "de," which means "from" in French. It is thought that this family derived its name from when an ancestor lived in the settlement of Caunton in the English county of Nottinghamshire. The Gaelic form of the surname Caunton is Condún.

Early Origins of the Caunton family

Early History of the Caunton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Caunton research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1605 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Caunton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caunton Spelling Variations

It was found during an investigation of the origins of the name Caunton that church officials and medieval scribes often spelled the name as it sounded. This practice lead to a single person's being documented under many spelling variations. The name Caunton has existed in the various shapes: Condon, Condone, Caunteton, Condun, Condin, Conden, Condan, Condine, Condune, Caundon and many more.

Early Notables of the Caunton family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Caunton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Caunton family

Irish immigration to North American began in the late 18th century as many Irish families desired to own their own land. This pattern of immigration grew slowly yet steadily until the 1840s. At that time, a failed crop and a growing population in Ireland resulted in the Great Potato Famine. Poverty, disease, and starvation ravaged the land. To ease their pain and suffering the Irish often looked upon North America as a solution: hundreds of thousands undertook the voyage. Their arrival meant the growth of industry and commerce for British North America and the United States. For the individual Irishman, it meant survival and hope, and the opportunity for work, freedom, and ownership of land. The early immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Caunton: David Condon who settled in Virginia in 1683; James and Thomas Condon settled in Quebec in 1825 with three children and seven children respectively with their wives.