Scanlon Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Scanlon last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Scanlon last name
Meaning of the Scanlon last name: descendant of Scannlán. Scanlon comes from the Gaelic Ó Scannláin, "descendant of Scannlán", an old personal name whose meaning is uncertain. The name arose separately in several parts of Ireland, and it is now most common in Kerry, Limerick and Sligo. Scanlan is an equally frequent spelling. A curious detail: so many families left for America that the name became as familiar in New York and Boston as in Kerry.
Arms associated with the Scanlon name
Irish heraldry often features hands, trees and animals drawn from old stories, and the arms associated with the Scanlon name belong to that tradition.
Get your full Scanlon family history
This is only a glimpse of the Scanlon story. The full Scanlon history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Scanlon coat of arms. Get the full Scanlon report.
Scanlon name FAQ
What does the Scanlon name mean?
Descendant of Scannlán. Common variants include Scanlan, O'Scanlon, Scallan.
Where does the Scanlon surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, England and Australia.
Is there a Scanlon coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Scanlon coat of arms in museum style, 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.