Show ContentsConville History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Hundreds of years ago, the Gaelic name used by the Conville family in Ireland was Mac Conmhaoil.

Early Origins of the Conville family

The surname Conville was first found in the county of Derry, where they held a family seat, some say, they were descended from the Cenel Eoghain, (Clan Owen) the great northern tribe who were descended from Eoghan, son of King Niall of the Nine Hostages, (who lived about 365 A.D.) progenitor of the O'Neills. This ancient and distinguished tribe settled in Tyrone and Derry.

Early History of the Conville family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Conville research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1620 and 1845 are included under the topic Early Conville History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Conville Spelling Variations

Just like the English language, the Gaelic language of Ireland was not standardized in the Middle Ages. Therefore, one's name was often recorded under several different spellings during the life of its bearer. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origins of the Conville family name include McConville, McConvill, McConwell, McConwel, Conwell, Conville, Convill, Convilles, Conwells, MacConville, MacConvill, MacConwell and many more.

Early Notables of the Conville family

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


Australia Conville migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Conville Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Mary Ann Conville, (b. 1810), aged 27, Irish maid who was convicted in Armagh, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Diamond" on 29th November 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 1

New Zealand Conville migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Conville Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. C. Conville, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Wild Duck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 20th December 1867 2
  • Mr. E. Conville, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Wild Duck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 20th December 1867 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Conville (post 1700) +

  • Steven George Conville (b. 1973), Canadian business broadcaster
  • Clare Conville, English co-founder of Conville & Walsh Ltd, a literary agency based in Soho, London in 2000


The Conville Motto +

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: Age in aeternum
Motto Translation: Do forever


  1. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Diamond
  2. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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