Conlan is a surname of Irish origin. In its original Gaelic form it was spelt a number of different ways, resulting in many English-language versions, such as Conlon, Connellan, etc.
The O'Connellans were chiefs of Crioch Tullach, in County Tyrone. O'Conalláin (O'Connellan or O'Kendellan) were princes of Ui Laeghari or "Ive-Leary" in the tenth and eleventh centuries, an extensive territory in the counties of Meath and Westmeath (O'Coindealbhain, O'Connialláin, O'Connolláin, O'Connellan). Branches of this family in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries settled in the counties of Roscommon, Galway and Mayo.
Notable people with the surname include:
Bernard Conlan (1923–2013), British Labour Party politician
Craig Conlan, Scottish comics writer and artist
Jocko Conlan (1899–1989), American Hall of Fame umpire
John Bertrand Conlan (born 1930, son of Jocko Conlan), American lawyer and Republican politician
Dennis Conlan (1838–1870), American Civil War soldier
John Conlan (Kildare politician), Irish politician and farmer
John Conlan (Monaghan politician) (1928–2004), Irish Fine Gael politician, grocer and publican
Michael Conlan (born 1991), Irish boxer
Matthew Conlan (born 1993) Irish hurler, for County Down
Joseph Conlan, American film score composer
Martin E. Conlan (1849–1923), Democratic state legislator in South Dakota
Matt Conlan, Australian politician
Neil Conlan (1936-1978), Australian footballer
Michael Conlan (born 1958, son of Neil Conlan), former Australian footballer in the Victorian Football League
Greg Conlan (born 1963), Australian footballer
Shane Conlan (born 1964), former professional American football player
Jason Conlan (born 1971), New Zealand cartoonist
Bradford Conlan (born 1981), American Biotech CEO
Fictional characters:
Molly Conlan McKinnon, character from the CBS Soap As The World Turns
