Show ContentsConant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Scottish name Conant 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 Conant family

The surname Conant 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 Conant family

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

Conant 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. Conant has been written Conan, Conane, Conad, Connan, Connant, Conant and others.

Early Notables of the Conant family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

  • Sir Arthur Conant

Conant Ranking

In the United States, the name Conant is the 6,556th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [1]

Ireland Migration of the Conant family to Ireland

Some of the Conant 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.


United States Conant 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 Conant:

Conant Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Christopher Conant, born in Devonshire, brother of Roger, who landed in Plymouth, Mass aboard the ship "Anne" in 1623 [2]
  • Roger Conant (c. 1592-1679), born in Devonshire, who landed in Plymouth, Mass aboard the ship "Anne" in 1623, founder of Salem, Massachusetts [2]
  • Mrs. Sarah Conant, (nee Horton), English settler who arrived in Plymouth, Mass aboard the ship "Anne" in 1623 [3]
  • Abigail Conant, who arrived in Maryland in 1663 [2]
  • Ann Conant, who landed in Maryland in 1663 [2]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Conant Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Samuel Conant, who settled in Nantucket, Massachusetts in 1823

Contemporary Notables of the name Conant (post 1700) +

  • James Bryant Conant (1893-1978), American chemist and diplomat, 23rd President of Harvard University, the first U.S. Ambassador to West Germany (1955-1957), recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • Howell T. Conant (1916-1999), American fashion photographer, best known for his portraits of the the Princess Consort of Monaco, Grace Kelly
  • Frederic Warren Conant (1892-1974), American silver medalist sailor at the 1932 Summer Olympics
  • Levi Leonard Conant (1857-1916), American mathematician, a specialist in trigonometry, best known for his 1896 book The Number Concept: Its Origin and Development, eponym of the Levi L. Conant Prize
  • Kenneth John Conant (1894-1984), American architectural historian
  • Marcus Augustine Conant (b. 1936), American dermatologist who was one of the first physicians to diagnose and treat AIDS in 1981
  • Jennet Conant (b. 1959), American three-time New York Times Best Seller listed non-fiction author and journalist
  • Douglas Conant, American businessman, past President and CEO of the Campbell Soup Company until July 31, 2011
  • Scott Conant (b. 1971), American chef, restaurateur, food personality, and cookbook author
  • James Wallace Conant (1862-1906), American amusement manager of the Schenley Park Casino, first manager of the Duquesne Gardens
  • ... (Another 23 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  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. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm


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