Hannon
A mainly Irish surname, often linked to Gaelic forms behind Hannan/Hanlon-type names, though the exact origin can vary by family line.
The #3,016 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 25,960 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname is most commonly treated as an anglicized Irish name. The historical excerpts group Hannon with Irish forms such as Hannan, Hanlon, Hanrahan, and related names, which suggests a Gaelic source rather than a single fixed English root. In some families it may reflect a shortened or altered form of an Irish personal name beginning with Han-/Ó hAnna- type forms, but the exact derivation is not fully settled in the excerpts.
History
The sources place Hannon chiefly in Ireland, especially in counties such as Dublin, Waterford, and Tyrone, and show it alongside several closely related Irish surnames. Later records also show the name spreading into Britain and North America through migration, where it appears in Boston and other English-speaking settings. The surname has several spelling relatives, and in practice different branches of the family may not share the same precise origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older surname indexes, Hannon is often listed right next to Hannan, Hanlon, and Hanrahan, showing how closely Irish surname spellings were grouped in historical records.
From the historical record
“Harmsworth. — Local, ■ of Hannon<isworth,' a pariah in co. Middlesex. London, 1 1 MDB.<co. Soolhampton), 1. HamMH, Hamela, HamlBli.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances