Dalen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The surname is one of the Anglo-Norman names that arrived in Ireland in the wake of the 12th century invasion by Richard "Strongbow" de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. The surname Dalen belongs to the large category of Anglo-Norman habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Originally, these place names were prefixed by de, which means from in French. The name of the Dalen family comes from the name of the town of Lyon in central France. In France, the name may also have been a nickname for a fierce or brave warrior, as derived from the Old French word "lion," which meant "lion." The Irish Gaelic form of the surname Dalen is Diolún.

Early Origins of the Dalen family

The surname Dalen was first found in at Drumrany in County Westmeath (Irish: An Iarmhí) in the Irish Midlands, province of Leinster, where they were the Barons of Drumrany. The Dillon family is descended from Sir Henry de Leon, a member of a noble Breton family who came to Ireland in 1185, in the service of the Earl of Morton, who later became King John. For de Leon's service, King John granted him MacCarrons territory, part of Annaly, and other vast possessions, including a castle at Dunimon.

Early History of the Dalen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dalen research. Another 184 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1533, 1572, 1605, 1610, 1615, 1624, 1627, 1629, 1630, 1633, 1642, 1649, 1652, 1672, 1674, 1682, 1685, 1689, 1691, 1713, 1715 and 1794 are included under the topic Early Dalen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dalen Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often simply spelled names as they sounded. As a result, a single person's name may have been recorded a dozen different ways during his lifetime. Spelling variations for the name Dalen include: Dillon, Delion, Dilune, Dilon, Dylon, Dillan, Dillen and many more.

Early Notables of the Dalen family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was Sir Bartholomew Dillon (died 1533), a leading Irish judge who held the offices of Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer and Lord Justice of Ireland. Hewas born at Riverston, County Meath. Theobald Dillon, 1st Viscount Dillon (died 1624), was an Irish military commander and adventurer who claimed descent from the Anglo-Norman Henry le Dillon; Lucas Dillon, 2nd Viscount Dillon (1610-1629); Theobald Dillon, 3rd Viscount Dillon (1629-1630); Thomas Dillon, 4th Viscount Dillon (1615-1672); Thomas Dillon, 5th Viscount Dillon (d. 1674); Lucas Dillon, 6th Viscount Dillon (d. 1682); Theobald Dillon, 7th Viscount Dillon...
Another 100 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dalen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dalen migration to the United States +

In the 1840s, Ireland experienced a mass exodus to North America due to the Great Potato Famine. These families wanted to escape from hunger and disease that was ravaging their homeland. With the promise of work, freedom and land overseas, the Irish looked upon British North America and the United States as a means of hope and prosperity. Those that survived the journey were able to achieve this through much hard work and perseverance. Early immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Dalen:

Dalen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Margarethe Dalen, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1792 1
Nicholaus Dalen, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1792 1
Philipp Dalen, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1792 1

Dalen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Auguste Dalen, who landed in Texas in 1845 1
Mrs. D Van Dalen, who arrived in Iowa in 1865 1
Dirk Van Dalen, who landed in Iowa in 1865 1
Jacob Van Dalen, who landed in Iowa in 1865 1
Jannigje Van Dalen, who arrived in Iowa in 1871 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dalen (post 1700) +

Nils Gustav Dalén (1869-1937), Swedish engineer, Nobel Laureate and industrialist, founder of the AGA company and inventor of the AGA cooker and the Dalén light

The Dalen Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Dum spiro spero
Motto Translation: While I have breath I hope.

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)