Title: History of the surname Cooney
Headings: Cooney – descendants of an elegant chief
Cooney – descendants of an elegant chief
Virtue is the only nobility
Be a friend of Ireland Calling
Notable Cooneys
Famous Cooneys
Variations of the Cooney surname
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Content: History of the surname Cooney
Cooney – descendants of an elegant chief
Cooney is a common Irish surname that dates back to before the 11th century. It is popular all over Ireland, particularly in the Munster counties, although it actually originated in Ulster. Back to Irish surnames
The name derives from the old Gaelic name O’Cuana. The ‘O’ prefix means ‘grandson of’ or ‘descendent of’ while ‘Cuana’ was a personal name which meant ‘elegant one’. In medieval times, tribes and clans usually took their surname from their chief. This means that Cooneys are highly likely to be descended from an elegant chief. There is another theory that the surname comes from the personal name ‘Cuan’ which means ‘little wolf’. This would mean the Cooneys are descended from a wolf-like chief. However, it is a more widely held belief that the name comes from the word meaning ‘elegant’. Virtue is the only nobility
There are several variations to the surname including Coonan, Coonahan and Coonifer.