Surname Conkey - Meaning and Origin

Conkey: What does the surname Conkey mean?

The last name Conkey has its roots in both Irish and English ancestry. The variant spelling Conky is found in Scotland, Ireland and England.

The English variant is said to be derived from the Old English name Conca, a combination of the words Con (charm or compliance) and ca (share, or allotment). It was perhaps given to someone who wanted to share their charm, or was compliant in some way.

In Ireland, the surname is associated with the Celtic word conge, meaning “wise.” This would suggest that those with such a surname were considered wise and perhaps had knowledge that was respected by their peers.

The variant spellings of Conky and Conkeye have also been traced to Ireland. The surnames could have been a reference to the ferocious Conchabar, the Irish sea god of storms and storms. Or, there is also some suggestion that it may be derived from O'Coinghe, meaning “son of Coinghe.”

Whatever the exact origin of the surname, it is clear that the name Conkey (or Conky) has centuries-old ties to Celtic, English, and Irish ancestry.

Conkey: Where does the name Conkey come from?

The last name Conkey is most commonly found in the United States and Canada. It is also popular in English-speaking countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and parts of the United Kingdom. According to the US Census Bureau, there are more than 30,000 people living in the US with the Conkey surname.

The surname Conkey is first found in Lanarkshire, a historic county in central Scotland. It is thought to have derived from the Scottish name Connech, which is thought to be derived from the Gaelic phrase "son of Conn," or "son of a hound." The Conkey surname is thought to have arrived in the US in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

In the US, the surname Conkey is most heavily concentrated in the states of Ohio, Michigan, and California. The states of Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts also have significant populations with the Conkey surname. About a quarter of all US residents named Conkey live in Ohio, which is home to the cities of Akron, Toledo, and Cleveland.

The Conkey surname is also popular in other English-speaking countries around the world such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. In Canada, the surname is most common in the provinces of British Columbia and Ontario. In New Zealand, it is most commonly found in Otago.

In today’s world, the surname Conkey is still quite popular, particularly in the English-speaking countries of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Variations of the surname Conkey

The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname Conkey can all be found in records of the United Kingdom, Ireland and United States.

The English surname Conkey is derived from the earlier given name Conchobar, which is an Irish and Scottish name derived from the Gaelic Conchobhar. It has many spelling variations, including Connkey, Conky, Conkie, Conchy.

The earliest record of Conkey is found in the 13th century in England, when Robert Conke was listed in the plea court rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1259.

In Ireland, the surname Conkey is connected to the province of Munster, where Conkey is the anglicised form of O Connchubhair, the progenitor of a sept in Kerry, Cork, and Limerick.

In the United States, Conkey may be derived from the English and Scottish variants, but can often be found as Conley. Conleys are believed to be connected with the Irish Ó na Coileán, meaning ‘of the little woods’. Records from the US also show Conkeys from Germany, with the spelling Konkey.

The family of John Wesley Conkey were among the earliest settlers in Connecticut, USA in the late 1700s.

The surname Conkey can also be found in Australia, with records from the early to mid 1800s.

In short, Conkey is a surname with a number of variants, and can be found in countries across the world, with origins in England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany and the United States.

Famous people with the name Conkey

• John Conkey: United States Navy Admiral
• Dan Conkey: professional bull rider
• Clayton Conkey: Major League Baseball pitcher
• Cassandra Conkey: rhythmic gymnast
• Hal Conkey: politician
• Lake Conkey: Australian rules footballer
• Gary Conkey: American high diver
• Charlotte Conkey: American actress
• Joshua Conkey: Australian rugby league footballer
• Alfred Conkey: American racing cyclist

Other surnames

Conkel