Ó Cuindlis

Ó Cuindlis was the name of an Irish family of brehons and scholars from Uí Maine, located in present-day County Galway and County Roscommon, in Connacht. It means 'descendant of Cuindlis'^[1] (a given name of uncertain meaning). It was also spelt with Cuindilis and Cuindleas,^[1] later Cuinnlis and Coinlis,^[2] and in County Mayo^[3] Coinleisc and Coinlisc.^[1][3] The earliest form of the name can be traced back to an abbot from the 8th century, named Cuindles.

Anglicised variations of the surname (many still in use today, especially in Galway and surrounding areas as well as among the Gaelic diaspora) include Conless, Conlish, Conlisk, Conliske,^[4] Coynliske,^[4] Cundlish,^[1] Cunlish,^[1] Cunlisk,^[1] Quinless, Quinlish,^[1] Quinlisk,^[1] and Quinlist, any of which may be preceded by O' (O'Quinlish, etc.). Ó Coinleisc appears to have been anglicised also to the etymologically unrelated name Grimes^[1] in west Mayo.^[4] Ó Cuindlis is etymologically but probably not familially related to the Scottish name McCandlish and Scots-Irish variant McCandless, both from mac Cuindlis, 'son of Cuindlis'.^[5]

Notable individuals[]

• Domnall Ó Cuindlis, (d. 1342), historian
• Murchadh Ó Cuindlis (fl. 1398–1411), a scribe of the Book of Lecan and An Leabhar Breac

See also[]

• McCandless (surname) – also derived from Cuindlis/Cuindleas; fairly numerous in Northern Ireland, also found in Scotland
• McCandlish – also derived from Cuindlis/Cuindleas; a principally Scottish surname

References[]

Surname list

This page lists people with the surname Ó Cuindlis.
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