Conlin
An Irish surname most often understood as a form of Conlon, ultimately from a Gaelic personal name meaning “wolf-hound.”
The #7,542 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 70,026 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Conlin is generally treated as an Anglicized Irish surname related to Conlon. The usual explanation traces it back to the Gaelic personal name Conall, built from elements meaning “hound” or “wolf” and “strong” or “mighty,” so the sense is roughly “strong hound” or “wolf-hound.” In some families the spelling Conlin appears as a variant rendering of Conlon rather than a wholly separate origin.
History
The name is Irish in origin and is found in several spellings in historical records, reflecting the fluidity of Anglicization. In older surname collections it is often cross-referenced with Conlon and related forms, suggesting that Conlin and Conlon were sometimes interchangeable in practice. The spelling with -in is especially common in Irish diaspora records, including North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries frequently treat Conlin as a cross-reference rather than a separate main entry, which is a clue that spelling variation was common in Irish names.
From the historical record
“Collumb. Conlin. Conlon. 248. [Conry]. 454 (&> Cory. 48(6). Cii/rree. 419.”
— Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland