Heraldry and the Cunniff Surname

Cunniff began as an Irish family name. The usual explanation, from Elsdon Smith, is “the son of Cudubh (black hound)”.

Where the name comes from

It is a patronymic: it named a person after a father or forebear. The name also appears as Cunniffe and Conniff.

In the 2010 US Census, 1,641 Americans gave Cunniff as their last name (rank 17,258). It sits among the 25,000 most common last names in the country.

Arms associated with the name

Heraldry follows families, not surnames. A Cunniff coat of arms, where one exists, belonged to a specific line.

Want more than a summary? See the Cunniff family name pack.