Canavan
An Irish surname, probably from a Gaelic name meaning “white-headed.”
The #9,836 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 93,844 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Canavan is generally treated as an Irish surname from Gaelic roots referring to a physical nickname, most likely “white-headed” or “fair-haired.” The Woulfe excerpt groups it with forms rendered as Cannavan and Kinavan and glosses it as “White-head,” which points to a descriptive nickname rather than a place-name or occupation. The exact original Gaelic spelling is not fully secure from the excerpts, but the name clearly belongs to the Irish Gaelic surname tradition.
History
The name is found in Irish records and surname lists, especially in the south and west of Ireland, and later appears in Anglicized forms such as Canavan, Cannavan, and Kinavan. The excerpts from Matheson and Woulfe show it as an established Irish family name by the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In modern usage it is most often associated with Irish diaspora communities in Britain, the United States, and Australia.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname has several spellings in older sources, but they all cluster around the same Irish name family rather than separate surnames.
From the historical record
“0 CeAtin-otibAin, Cannavan, Canavan, Kinavan ; White- head. 0 CeAnn-ovntb, Canniff, Cannifie. 0 CeA|iAirj Kerrane, Kirrane ;”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames