MCCANN

McCann is a surname of Gaelic Irish origin, with its earliest documented appearance traced back to the year 1155 in the Annals of the Four Masters, when Amhlaibh Mac Canna was noted as a pillar of chivalry within Cinel Eoghain.

The name derives from the Old Gaelic Mac Cana, a patronymic meaning “son of Cana.” The personal name Cana itself stems from can, the Gaelic word for wolf, thereby associating the surname with the qualities of the wolf such as strength, loyalty and cunning.

Traditionally, Irish family names are founded on the heads of tribes or notable warriors and are prefixed with Mac (son of) or O (descendant of). McCann is among the patronymic types of names constructed in this manner.

The MacCanas historically occupied the southern shores of Lough Neagh, in the district of Clanbrassil within County Armagh. The sept were lords of Clanbrassil, an area originally held by the O’Garveys. Several members of the sept appear in the annals of Irish history, with the last recorded mention in the Annals of the Four Masters occurring in the year 1260. A later entry dated 1598 records Donnell MacCanna as Chief of Clanbrassil.

On 11 October 1687, a marriage record preserves the names Patrick McCann and Ann McBride at Clones in County Monaghan, demonstrating the continued presence of the family in the mid‑seventeenth century.

In the nineteenth century, Michael Joseph MacCann (1824–1883) gained renown as the author of the poem “O’Donnell Abu.” During the Great Famine, seventy‑eight individuals bearing the surname McCann appear on a list of Irish famine emigrants arriving at the Port of New York between 1846 and 1851.

The coat of arms granted to the McCann family consists of an azure shield with gold fretty, a silver fess bearing a red boar passant, and a crest featuring a salmon naiant proper.

Thus, the surname McCann occupies a distinct place in Irish heraldry and history, reflecting its Gaelic roots, symbolic connection to the wolf, and enduring presence across the British Isles.

Typical given names associated with the McCann surname

Male

• David
• James
• John
• Michael
• Patrick
• Paul
• Peter
• Stephen
• Thomas
• William

Female

• Angela
• Anne
• Catherine
• Elizabeth
• Kathleen
• Margaret
• Mary
• Patricia
• Sarah
• Susan

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 McCann in...

Braille

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Morse

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Did you know?

According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname McCann are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Custard Cream.

Surname type: From name of parent

Origin: Celtic

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: Ireland

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: Gaelic

Famous people named McCann

• Rory McCann - Scottish actor
• Ferne McCann - Television personality and presenter
• Martin McCann - Irish actor
• Gavin McCann - Football player
• Grant McCann - Northern Irish football player and manager
• Eamonn McCann - Northern Irish writer and activist
• Gary McCann - Musician
• Neil McCann - Scottish football player
• Molly McCann - Mixed martial artist
• Daniel McCann - IRA member (1957 to 1988)
• James McCann - Irish drug trafficker
• Michael McCann - Politician
• John McCann - Scottish football player
• Tiernan McCann - Gaelic football player
• Ryan McCann - Scottish football player
• Rory McCann - Cricketer
• Bert McCann - Scottish football player (1932 to 2017)
• Amy McCann - Northern Irish football player
• Lewis McCann - Northern Irish football player
• Austin McCann - Scottish football player

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.

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