| ![Show Contents]() Coningham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
Etymology of ConinghamWhat does the name Coningham mean? The ancestors of the Coningham name date back to the kingdom of Dalriada in ancient Scotland. Coningham was a name for someone who lived at Cunningham in Ayrshire. However, numerous branches of the Cunningham family spread all over Scotland. Two of the most prominent branches of the Cunningham Clan, the Cunninghams of Corsehill and the Cunninghams of Caprington, trace their ancestry back to the medieval era. Coningham Coat of Arms CreationThe Cuninghames have as their crest a unicorn, and the motto is, " Over fork over." The unicorn is so named from its having only one horn, which grows out of its forehead. It represents strength, a haughty mind, and one who would rather die than be brought into subjection. The horn was said to possess a powerful antidote against poison, and that other animals were glad to drink of water stirred by the horn. As to the motto, the story is that Malcolm, the first of the family, assisted Malcolm (afterwards King Malcolm Canmore) to escape when pursued by Macbeth, by forking straw or hay over him. The King afterwards rewarded him by the gift of the Thanedom of Cuninghame, and the figure on the shield like the letter Y represents the shake-fork. The other story is that the motto is derived from the fact that an ancestor had charge of the King's horses, and the shakefork was the instrument by which hay was forked to them. 1 Early Origins of the Coningham familyThe surname Coningham was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire. About the year 1050, it is said that Warnebald Cunningham saved King Malcolm Canmore by hiding him in the barn and covering him with hay concealing him from his pursuer the Pretender King, MacBeth. The grateful King Malcolm later bestowed on Warnebald the lands of Cunningham and the motto "Over Fork Over." 2 Early History of the Coningham familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coningham research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1490, 1520, 1548, 1574, 1575, 1578, 1610, 1630, 1664, 1670, 1716 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Coningham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Coningham Spelling VariationsSpelling in the medieval era was a highly imprecise process. Translation, particularly from Gaelic to English, was little better. For these reasons, early Scottish names are rife with spelling variations. In various documents Coningham has been spelled Cunningham, Cunninghame, Cunyngham, Cunnyngham, Cunnynghame, Cummingham and many more. Early Notables of the Coningham family- James Coningham (1670-1716), an English Presbyterian divine and tutor
Migration of the Coningham family to IrelandSome of the Coningham family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Coningham migration to the United States | + |
Ancestors of many of the Dalriadan families who crossed the Atlantic still live along the east coast of the United States and Canada. Some Scottish settlers arrived in Canada during the American War of Independence as United Empire Loyalists, while others stayed south to fight for a new nation. The descendants of Scottish settlers in both countries began to rediscover their heritage in the 19th and 20th centuries through Clan societies and highland games. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Coningham or a variant listed above:
Coningham Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Dan Coningham, who landed in Virginia in 1656 3
Coningham Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Abraham Coningham, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 3
Coningham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Thomas Coningham, aged 18, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1803 3
- Hen Coningham, who arrived in America in 1804 3
| Coningham migration to Australia | + |
Coningham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
| Contemporary Notables of the name Coningham (post 1700) | + |
- Air Marshal Sir Arthur "Mary" Coningham KCB, KBE, DSO, MC, DFC, AFC, RAF (1895-1948), New Zealand senior officer in the Royal Air Force during the First World War and senior Royal Air Force commander during the Second World War
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Over fork over
- Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
- Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
- 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)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
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