Show ContentsConan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Scottish name Conan is carried by the descendents of the Pictish people. 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 Conan family

The surname Conan 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 Conan family

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

Conan Spelling Variations

When the first dictionaries were invented in the last few hundred years, spelling gradually became standardized. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound. Names were often recorded under different spelling variations every time they were written. Conan has been written Conan, Conane, Conad, Connan, Connant, Conant and others.

Early Notables of the Conan family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

  • Sir Arthur Conant

Conan Ranking

In France, the name Conan is the 1,344th most popular surname with an estimated 4,226 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Conan family to Ireland

Some of the Conan 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.


Conan migration to the United States +

The crossing to North America did not seem so great in comparison with the hardships many Scots endured at home. It was long, expensive, and cramped, but also rewarding. North America offered land and the chance for settlers to prove themselves in a new place. And many did prove themselves as they fought to forge a new nation in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of those Scots can now experience much of their once-lost heritage through the Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up across North America in the last century. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Conan:

Conan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Mary Conan, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1767 2
Conan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Peter, Betty, and Michael Conan, who, who landed in New Bedford, Maryland in 1805
  • Betty Conan, aged 23, who arrived in New York, NY in 1805 2
  • Michael Conan, aged 3, who landed in New York, NY in 1805 2
  • Peter Conan, aged 32, who arrived in New York, NY in 1805 2
  • Adam Conan, who arrived in New York in 1820
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Conan (post 1700) +

  • Neal Conan (1949-2021), American radio journalist, producer, editor, and correspondent who worked for National Public Radio for over 36 years
  • Abraham P. Conan, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 12th District, 1932, 1934 3
  • Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), English novelist best known as the creator of Sherlock Holmes
  • Sir Conan Aske,
  • Conan Christopher O'Brien (b. 1963), American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer


  1. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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