Surname McCone - Meaning and Origin
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McCone: What does the surname McCone mean?
The last name McCone is an Anglicised form of the Gaelic surname Mac Dhomhnaill, meaning ‘son of Donald’. The root of this name is found in Old Irish Domhnall, which itself is derived from the elements “dumno” meaning “world” and “valo” meaning “might or rule”, giving an overall meaning of “world ruler”. The surname is most strongly associated with Ireland and Scotland, and is predominately found in County Donegal, Ulster and along the Upper Clyde valley. McCone is also a common surname in parts of America, mainly around New England.
Throughout the centuries the surname has taken many variants, including McCoone, McKeone, McKeown and MacDonell. It remains a popular surname in Ireland, its place of origin, with records of McCone families dating back to at least 850 A.D. In Scotland, the McCone name appears in records as early as 1498, in the collectanea of the ancient Earls of Eglinton and Winton, where the name is spelled as ‘M’Comin’.
One of the most prominent people to use the McCone name was General John McCone—a key figure in the United States Atomic Energy Commission, a director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the United States ambassador to the Vatican. Today, descendants of the original McCone families are spread across the globe, with the surname a testament to the proud heritage of the Scottish and Irish people.
Order DNA origin analysisMcCone: Where does the name McCone come from?
The surname McCone is predominantly found in Northern Ireland. It was first recorded in County Tyrone, in the 14th Century, where the family was located in Rathmullen. The McCone name was then spread further around the province through church and land records.
The majority of McCones can be found in Ulster today. According to WorldNames Public Profiler, 81.6% of all McCones live in Northern Ireland. McCones are most numerous in County Antrim, followed by Belfast City and County Down. According to the same website, only 0.5% of McCones live in England and 0.6% live in Scotland.
Many McCones have emigrated from Ireland over the centuries. This has spread the name to many places around the world, including the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. American McCones are most likely to be found in the states of Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia.
Despite the spread of the surname worldwide, Ireland still bad the highest number of records for the McCone name.
Variations of the surname McCone
The most common variant of the surname McCone is McCone. Other variants, spellings, and surnames derived from McCone include MacCone, McConne, MacCon, MacCone, McConghey, McConehey, McCoun, McCown, McCuen, McCue, MacCoan, MacCoane, and MacOan.
McCone is a surname of Scottish and Northern Irish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic MacCuana, which is itself derived from the Gaelic Mac Con Aigh, meaning "son of a wise man". The family may have originally descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages, the ancestor of the O'Neill clan of Northern Ireland.
McCone is the anglicized form of the Northern Irish surname McCuen. McCuen is derived from MacCuana, which in turn is derived from the Gaelic Mac Con Aigh. The family is believed to have descended from a prince of Ulster who lived in the 9th or 10th century.
McCown, McConehey, and McConghey are variants of the surname McCone. McConehey could be derived from the Irish Mac an Chadain (son of the battle poet). McCown may also be a variant of McCone. McCown was likely a spelling change due to the difficulty of pronouncing the surname in its original Gaelic form.
McCue is a variant of McCone that is almost exclusively found in Scotland. It derives from the Old Irish Gaelic MacCobhthaigh, which means "son of the victorious one". It is possible that this version of the surname could have been brought to Scotland by migrating Irish-Scots.
MacCoan, MacCoane, and MacOan are variants of McCone that are more commonly associated with Scotland. As with McCue, these variants of McCone are likely derived from the Old Irish Gaelic MacCobhthaigh, meaning "son of the victorious one".
In conclusion, McCone is a surname of Scottish and Northern Irish origin derived from the Gaelic Mac Cuana, meaning "son of a wise man". Variants of the surname include MacCone, McConne, MacCon, MacCone, McConghey, McConehey, McCoun, McCown, McCuen, McCue, MacCoan, MacCoane, and MacOan.
Famous people with the name McCone
- Michele Flournoy: American politician and former under secretary of defense for policy
- Gina McCarthy: American environmental health and public health advocate and former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
- Chuck McConnel: jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger.
- Seth McConnel: US diplomat, former Secretary of the Navy, and former Deputy Director of National Intelligence
- John McCone: former CIA director
- Michael McCone: American landscape and abstract painter
- Edward McCone: American businessman and architectural preservationist
- Helen A. McCone: founder of the McCone Commission
- Robert M. McCone: former professor of anthropology and past president of the New York Academy of Sciences
- Lisa McCone: American lawyer and Vice President of the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant