Show ContentsCronen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Cronen has undergone many variations in the time that has passed since its genesis. In Gaelic it appeared as "O Croinin," which derives from the word "cron," which meant "brown" or "dark." 1

Early Origins of the Cronen family

The surname Cronen was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster.

Saint Crónán (died 640) was the abbot-bishop and patron of the diocese of Roscrea. His feasy day is April 28th. Mo Chua or Crónán mac Bécáin (died 637) was the founder of Balla, which later merged into that of Tuam, Ireland. Apparently the two were not related.

Temple Cronan is a ruined medieval chapel built near a holy well in the Burren, County Clare, Ireland. It dates from the 12th century and may have been originally built to serve as a pagan temple. The building looks to have been renovated in the 15th century, but it is thought that this stone structure replaced a wooden structure that is thought to have been founded by Saint Cronan.

Early History of the Cronen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cronen research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1172 and 1659 are included under the topic Early Cronen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cronen Spelling Variations

One explanation for the many variations is that scribes and church officials frequently spelled the name as it sounded: an imprecise method at best. Understandably then, various spellings of the surname Cronen were found in the many archives researched. These included Cronin, Cronyn, Cronine, Croynin, Cronan, Cronnin, Cronnan, Cronnyn, Cronen, O'Cronin, Croynan and many more.

Early Notables of the Cronen family

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


Canada Cronen migration to Canada +

Many Irish families boarded ships bound for North America in the middle of 19th century to escape the conditions of poverty and racial discrimination at that time. Although these immigrants often arrived in a destitute state, they went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. An inquiry into many immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants to North America bearing the Cronen family name:

Cronen Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Matthew Cronen, aged 25, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the barque "Independence" from Kinsale, Ireland


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.


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