Show ContentsDinnen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The lineage of the name Dinnen begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in Dinham, a hamlet in the county Monmouthshire. 1

Early Origins of the Dinnen family

The surname Dinnen was first found in Monmouthshire. However, another source points to Devon and Cornwall as the origin of the family. In this case, Barons Dinham, and De Dinant, claim descent from the Viscounts Dinant of Bretagne, France. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 has two listings in Devon: Oliver de Dynham; and Robert de Dyncham as both holding lands there at that time. 1

The manor of Bodarle or Bodardle, in the parish of Lanlivery, Cornwall belonged in the reign of Richard I. In 1259, it was conveyed by Isolda de Cardinham to Oliver de Dinan, in whose posterity it continued for several generations. 3

Early History of the Dinnen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dinnen research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1295, 1320, 1433, 1460, 1486, 1501, 1765 and 1784 are included under the topic Early Dinnen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dinnen Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Dinnen has undergone many spelling variations, including Dynham, Dinan, Dinham, Dinat, Dyneham and others.

Early Notables of the Dinnen family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir John Dynham, 1st Baron Dynham, (c. 1433-1501) was made High Sheriff of Devon and Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1460, Lord High Treasurer of England in 1486, an English peer and politician, served as councillor to Edward IV, Richard III and Henry VII. Charles Dignum, son of a master tailor, was born at Rotherhithe in 1765. His father, being a Roman Catholic, placed him when a boy in the choir of the Sardinian ambassador's chapel in Duke Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, where his fine voice attracted the attention of Samuel Webbe, the glee composer...
Another 131 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dinnen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Dinnen migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Dinnen were among those contributors:

Dinnen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Hugh Dinnen, who arrived in New York in 1834 4
  • John Dinnen, who arrived in New York in 1834 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Dinnen (post 1700) +

  • Maureen S. Dinnen, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Florida, 2000 5


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  4. 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)
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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