Conan

Conan is an Irish name built from cú, a word associated with a hound or wolf, and a diminutive ending. The usual interpretation is therefore little hound or little wolf. It has older religious and legendary uses, including early saints, rather than originating with the modern fictional warrior.

Conan the Barbarian supplies one well-known association, while presenter Conan O’Brien gives the name a very different public image. Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, bore it as a middle name. These references show how the same established Irish name can move through literature and entertainment without losing its older linguistic roots. Conán retains the Irish accent in writing.