R.J. Mitchell discovered NGC 7401, along with NGC 7397 and 7398, while observing NGC 7396 at Birr Castle on 2 Oct 1856. A sketch was made on 23 Oct 1857 and NGC 7401 was labeled "D", along with a companion just following that was labeled as "E" (NGC 7402). The sketch identifies NGC 7401 = CGCG 379-013 (described here) and(NGC 7402 = PGC 69914.

MCG, RC3 and DSFG all mislabel NGC 7401 as(NGC 7402. CGCG doesn't attach a NGC designation to CGCG 379-013. RNGC and the first edition of the Deep Sky Field Guide reverse the identifications of NGC 7401 and 7402. The correct identifications are sorted out in my RNGC Corrections #2.

400/500mm - 17.5" (8/27/87): extremely faint, very small, round, weak concentration. Forms a close pair with NGC 7402 1.5' E. Located in a group 3.0' ENE of NGC 7397 and 9.5' ENE of brightest member NGC 7396. Identification reversed with NGC 7402 in the RNGC and not identified as NGC 7401 in the CGCG.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb