CUNNING
The surname Cunning is of English origin, deriving from the Middle English word cunning, which conveyed the sense of being skillful or clever. The appellation was originally a nickname applied to individuals who were distinguished by their intelligence, shrewdness or craftiness. As a surname it has retained the implication that the bearer was or was perceived to be skilful in his or her endeavours.
Although it is rooted in England, the name is also recorded within the British Isles, particularly in Ireland. In that country the language of the population at the time of the name’s introduction was Gaelic, and the local Christian community would have been the primary social milieu for bearers of the surname. The Irish presence of the name reflects the broader movement of English families across the island during the early modern period, where surnames of English derivation were adopted or adapted by local inhabitants.
As a personal name, Cunning was typically associated with a descriptive attribute rather than an occupational or toponymic origin. Consequently, bearers of the surname would have been identified not by their place of residence or trade, but by the perceived cleverness that characterised them. This usage is consistent with other surnames derived from Middle English nicknames that have survived into the present day as family names of English and Irish provenance.
Typical given names associated with the Cunning surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Brian
- David
- James
- Jim
- John
- Martin
- Paul
- Raymond
- Robert
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Anne
- Beverley
- Brenda
- Carol
- Catherine
- Clare
- Eithne
- Elizabeth
- Jane
- Jennifer
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Shauna
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Cunin
- Canning
- Cowning
- Cumning
- Cumnings
- Conning
- Cunnin
- Cananagh
- Caning
- Cannunock
- Canonaco
- Canonica
- Canonico
- Canonigo
- Coning
- Cuning
- Cuningham
- Cuninghame
- Cunings
- Cunington
- Cunningam
- Cunningham
- Cunninghame
- Cunninghan
- Cunnings
- Cunnington
- Cunninngham
- Cunnningham
- Cunnnington
- Cunnyngham
- Cunnynghame
- Cunyingham
- Gananca
- Ganning
- Ganong
- Gonenc
- Goning
- Gonning
- Gunenc
- Guning
- Gunning
- Kananagh
- Kananga
- Kanownik
- Kanungo
- Kaunang
- Keaning
- Keening
- Kening
- Kenning
- Keuning
- Kining
- Kinning
- Koening
- Koning
- Kuningas
- Kunning
- Kunningham
- Kunonga
- Qanungo
- Queening
- Quining
- Quinning
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Cunning in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 253 people named Cunning in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around four in a million people in Britain are named Cunning.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Cunning
- Bobby Cunning - Football player (1930 to 1)
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.