Cannon — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: O Canainn / Mac Canannain
Meaning: 'descendant of Canann, from a root meaning wolf-cub or fair-haired'
Traditional stronghold: Mayo, Donegal
Pronunciation: KAN-un; Irish O Canainn: oh KAN-in
History of the Cannon name
Cannon in Ireland chiefly anglicises O Canainn, a sept of County Donegal linked to the wider Cenel Conaill grouping under the O'Donnells, as well as a related form found in Mayo and Galway. A number of Cannons elsewhere in Ireland descend instead from the English occupational or ecclesiastical term 'canon', referring to a clergyman, an entirely separate origin brought by settlers. This dual source means Irish Cannons may trace to either a native Gaelic sept or an unrelated English-derived name. The Donegal and Connacht Gaelic form remained the more common source in the west and northwest, and the surname is well established today throughout Ulster and Connacht.
Variants: O'Cannon · Canning (distinct) · Canon
Famous bearers of the name
- Moya Cannon — contemporary Irish poet
- Tommy Cannon — English entertainer of Irish descent
- Joseph Cannon — American actor of Irish heritage
- Ciara Cannon — Irish sportsperson
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Walsh · Gallagher · Burke · Boyle · Doherty · Sweeney · O'Donnell · Duffy