Surname Canniff - Meaning and Origin

Canniff: What does the surname Canniff mean?

The surname Canniff is believed to be of Irish and English origins. It is believed that the surname Canniff is derived from the Gaelic surname Mac Conaing, which is derived from the personal name "Conaing". The surname Canniff was first found in County Tipperary, Ireland, where it is believed that the first recorded bearer of the surname was a man called Conaing Ua Conaing, who was Chief of the Clan Conaing around the year 1220.

The surname Canniff is most-commonly found in Irish records with the suffix of "mac", meaning son of, as opposed to the more common Gaelic "O'", meaning grandson of. This indicates that the surname likely originated in England and was brought to Ireland via settlers.

The surname Canniff is associated with the ancient territory of Ui Tuirtrech in southwestern County Tipperary which originally belonged to the O'Connors of Ormond. In later times, the surname Canniff was generally associated with the Cantwells of nearby Slievemargy.

Throughout the centuries, many members of the Canniff family have achieved distinction in various fields. These have included orators, traders, authors and inventors. Some of the most famous Canniff members include Sir James Canniff, the great Irish orator, William H. Canniff, the businessman and politician, and Irish-American Edward J. Canniff, the author and journalist.

Canniff: Where does the name Canniff come from?

The last name Canniff is most commonly found in North America, specifically in the United States and Canada. It is particularly concentrated in the northeast of the United States, including New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. In 2021, public search results indicate that there are upwards of 3,000 people with the Canniff surname living in the United States.

The surname is derived from a location name, derived from an old Gaelic word ‘cam’, meaning ‘crooked’. It is likely that the surname is derived from a place in Ireland, although there is no known "Canniff" place there today.

The earliest records of the name in the United States date back to the mid 19th century, when the first known bearer of the name, John Canniff, arrived from Ireland to settle in Philadelphia in 1857. Many of John's descendants have remained in the Philadelphia area over the generations, although some branches have spread to different parts of the United States and even Canada.

Overall, the name Canniff is notable in North America, representing a heritage that is tied to a unique place, while still connecting individuals together all across the continent.

Variations of the surname Canniff

The surname Canniff is an Anglicised version of the Irish name O'Can gaine, which is derived from the Gaelic given name Cainneach, meaning "handsome". Canniff is often spelled with a double "n", although this is not found in the original Irish version. This spelling is sometimes also found as Canniffe. Variants of this name include Canning, Cannan and Canny.

The name has also been found in various parts of England with different spellings – Cannon in East Anglia, Cannyn in Northumberland and Cannin in Gloucestershire, for example. It can also be found as Bar-Cannon in Ireland, where it has been derived from the Irish language Bar-Cainne instead of O'Can gaine.

Sometimes the double n-spelling has been used in conjunction with other surnames leading to the double-barrel surnames Canning-Canniff and Cannan-Canniff.

In the United States, the surname has been found in the nineteenth-century immigration records with a variety of spellings, including Canniffe, Canif, Caniff, Caniph, and Cannon.

The form of the surname has also been influenced by language contact with many other languages, including French as evidenced by the name Canon, with different spellings including Cannavan and Cannevin.

The surname Cannon has been adapted to the Spanish language in the form of Canion. The names Canion and Canon can also be found in their original form Canne and Cenon.

Many of these variant spellings also appear with alternate surnames such as Canny and Cannan, as well as variants of other related surnames such as Cannon, Kenney and Kenniff.

In summary, other variants and spellings of the name Canniff can be found such as Canning, Cannan, Canny, Cannon, Canniffe, Canif, Caniph, Cannavan, Cannevin, Canion, Canon, Canne and Cenon, as well as variants of other related surnames such as Kenney, Kenniff, and Canny.

Famous people with the name Canniff

• Emma Canniff: An English professional snowboarder who has been competing since 2014.
• Michael Canniff: An American cinematographer and director who has worked on numerous feature films.
• Tony Canniff: An Australian former professional rugby league player.
• Dr. John Canniff: An English military historian and author who has published several books about the British army.
• Sarah Canniff: An American singer and songwriter.
• Maurice Canniff: An Irish sculptor and painter who was a key figure in the Dublin Art Scene in the 1970s.
• Stephen Canniff: An American inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.
• Rob Canniff: A Canadian actor who has appeared in various films and television shows.
• Jonathan Canniff: An English composer and music producer.
• Jessie Canniff: An American actress who has appeared in several films and television shows.

Other surnames

Canning