Show ContentsConniston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Conniston arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Conniston family lived in Cambridgeshire, in the parish of Connington.

Early Origins of the Conniston family

The surname Conniston was first found in Cambridgeshire, at Conington, a parish, in the union of St. Ives, hundred of Papworth. "The lordship, together with the ancient castle, of which there are some vestiges in the village, was given by Canute to Turkill, a Danish lord, who, taking advantage of his residence among the East Angles, invited over Sueno to plunder the country.

After Turkill's departure it fell to Waldeof, Earl of Huntingdon, who married Judith, niece to the Conqueror, from whom it descended to the royal line of Scotland. " 1

Accordingly, the place name literally means "The king's manor, the royal estate," from the Old Scandinavian word "konunger" + the Old English word "tun." 2 It was listed twice in the Domesday Book of 1086, once as Coninctune and secondly as Cunitone. 3

One of the first on records was Richard Conyngton (d. 1330), Franciscan, who "studied at the university of Oxford, where he proceeded to the degree of doctor in theology. He must also have lived for some time on the continent, since a younger contemporary, the famous John Baconthorpe, says he was a pupil of Henry of Ghent. Conyngton was held in high repute as a schoolman." 4

Early History of the Conniston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Conniston research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273 and 1340 are included under the topic Early Conniston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Conniston Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Connington, Connigton, Conitone, Conyton, Coniton, Conintone and many more.

Early Notables of the Conniston family

More information is included under the topic Early Conniston Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Conniston family

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Conniston or a variant listed above: Wm. Connington, who arrived in Baltimore in 1676; William Connington, who arrived in Maryland in 1676; Naomi Connis, who arrived in Boston in 1702; Lewis Connington, who settled in America in 1757.



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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