COON

Coon is a surname of both English and German origin that has evolved through a variety of spellings and meanings over the centuries. The name has been documented in the British Isles, particularly in England and Scotland, and has also appeared in German-language records.

One explanation for the surname arises from the Old English word cōn, meaning “rabbit.” As a result, Coon can be seen as a variant of the surname Coan, which itself is derived from the same animal reference. Another possible derivation connects the name to the Old English word cumb, meaning “valley,” suggesting that Coon may also be a shortened or anglicised form of Coombe. In a third instance, the name has an Americanised spelling of the German surname Kuhn, which comes from the Middle High German word kuon and means “bold” or “brave.” These multiple lineages demonstrate that the exact meaning of the surname can differ according to family history.

The surname is also associated with a range of historical spellings such as Conyngham, Cunningham, Cuninghame, Cunninghame, Coningham, Conningham, Coonaghan and Kunihan, many of which appear in Irish records. These varieties arise from the medieval practice of spelling names phonetically, as literacy was limited and local dialects differed across regions. The earliest form recorded in Scotland is Cunninghame, a manor close to the town of Kilmarnock in the county of Ayrshire. The place name first occurs in the year 1153 as Cunegan, a form whose origin is uncertain but reflects a pre‑Roman linguistic influence. The principal family line can be traced back to a knight named Wernebald, who served under the Norman French settler Hugh de Morville and obtained the lease of the manor of Cunningham in the late twelfth century. Subsequent archival examples include Alexander de Kuningham in a North Berwickshire charter dated 1190, and William de Cuningham, vicar of Dundonald, recorded in 1403.

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the surname Coon spread to the United States, particularly following the Irish Famine of 1849. The name has been documented in American civil and military records, and notable bearers include Sir Charles Cunningham (1755–1834), a naval officer who served under Admiral Nelson, and Admiral Lord Cunningham, who commanded British naval forces in the Mediterranean during the Second World War. The association with naval service enhanced the name’s prominence in Britain and abroad.

The Cunninghams of the Earls of Glencairn adopted a heraldic achievement that is still recognised today. Their blazon consists of a silver shield bearing a black shakefork; the crest is a silver unicorn’s head couped, and the motto is the Latin phrase “Over fork over”. The earliest illustration of this family’s coat of arms appears in the “Ancient Records of the Scots Peerage”, dated 1210, during the reign of King William I of Scotland.

In contemporary terms, the surname Coon is most commonly found in the United States, especially in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. It is less frequently encountered in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and other former British colonies. Wherever it appears, the name often carries a legacy of migration and linguistic adaptation.

Variant spellings of the surname include Koon, Kuhn, Kuhne, Kuhnen, Coone, Coonan, Coonen, Cohn and Cohen. These forms arise from the transliteration of German, Dutch and Irish surnames, and from phonetic spelling practices in older records. Care must be taken when recognising the contemporary use of the word in certain contexts, as it can carry racially derogatory connotations in some regions; this meaning does not relate to the surname’s etymology but to separate sociolinguistic developments.

Typical given names associated with the Coon surname

Male

• Andrew
• Brian
• Calvin
• Darren
• David
• James
• John
• Kenneth
• Michael
• Paul
• Peter
• Robert

Female

• Angela
• Caroline
• Elizabeth
• Emma
• Gemma
• Julie
• Kimberley
• Margaret
• Natasha
• Nina
• Samantha
• Stephanie
• Vanessa

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Coon in...

Braille

⠉⠕⠕⠝

Morse

-.-.-------.

Semaphore

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

Famous people named Coon

• Carrie Coon - American actress

Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.

Your comments on the Coon surname