Cronin Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Cronin Family History

Cronin Family History

The ancient origin of the name Cronin was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. The name Cronin is an anglicized form of the native Gaelic O'Croinin Sept name. Variants include O'Cronin, Crone and Cronan. The great majority of Cronins belong to West Munster, particularly County Cork. In 1659 it was recorded as a principal name in Limerick, and County Kerry, as well as in two Baronies in County Cork. The Sept was one of the Corca Laoidhe and the name is derived from the word 'cron', meaning 'brown coloured'. A leading family of O'Cronin were erenaghs of a church near Gougane Barra. Crone and Croneen were common spellings of the name and placenames like Ballycroneen in East Cork is said to commemorate Saint Cronin. Father Donogh O'Cronin, teacher of O'Sullivan Beare, was hanged in Cork in 1601. The Rev. Patrick Cronin, 1835-1905, the Irish-American poet and priest, was born in Adare, Limerick.The Cronin family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Cronin descendants.