CANNY Family History

This interesting surname is a variation of the Anglicized Gaelic name "MacCana". The Gaelic prefix "mac" indicates "son(of)", plus the personal nickname "cano", meaning "wolf cub". The territory of the Mac Canns was situated on the southern shores of Lough Neagh where they were lords of Clanbraasil in County Armagh. The first recorded namebearer died in the mid 12th Century, (see below). One, Donnell MacCanna was chief of Clanbrassil in 1598. On June 18th 1599 the marriage of Mary McCann and Michael Rilie is recorded in Adamstown, Co.