Conway Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Conway last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
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Meaning and origin of the Conway last name
Meaning of the Conway last name: anglicized form of several Gaelic names. Conway has several separate origins. In Ireland it anglicizes Mac Conmidhe of Tyrone, Ó Conbhuidhe of Mayo and Sligo, and Mac Connmhaigh of Clare and Kerry. In Wales it comes from the town of Conwy in the north, whose medieval English name was Conway. The Irish forms account for most bearers, and it is frequent in Mayo, Kerry and Tyrone, as well as in Boston and New York. Mac Conmidhe, from cú, "hound", and Midhe, the old kingdom of Meath, were a learned family of poets in Tyrone. The Welsh town of Conwy, with its 13th-century castle built by Edward I, gave the English form Conway, and families of that name are recorded in Wales and the English Midlands. In Ireland, the name is common in the west and south as well as in Ulster. Many Conways emigrated to the United States and Britain in the 19th century.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Conway name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Conway name in Ireland. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Wales and England; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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Conway name FAQ
What does the Conway name mean?
Anglicized form of several Gaelic names. Common variants include Conaway, Conwy, Conoway.
Where does the Conway surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, Wales and England.
Is there a Conway coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Conway crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Conway coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.