Diven History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The Irish name Diven was originally written in a Gaelic form as Ó Daimhin, derived from the word "damh," which refers to "an ox" or "a stag." 1

Early Origins of the Diven family

The surname Diven was first found in County Londonderry (Irish: Doire), a Northern Irish county also known as Derry, in the province of Ulster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Diven family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Diven research. Another 198 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1427 and 1713 are included under the topic Early Diven History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Diven Spelling Variations

People who were accounted for by scribes and church officials often had their name recorded many different ways because pronunciation was the only guide those scribes and church officials had to go by. This resulted in the problem of one person's name being recorded under several different variations, creating the illusion of more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname Diven that are preserved in archival documents are Devine, O'Devine, Davin, Devane, Dwane, Duane, Dwain, Dwayne, Dwayn, Devan, Davine, Devyne and many more.

Early Notables of the Diven family

More information is included under the topic Early Diven Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Diven migration to the United States +

Ireland became inhospitable for many native Irish families in the 19th centuries. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high rents, and discrimination forced thousands to leave the island for North America. The largest exodus of Irish settlers occurred with the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. For these immigrants the journey to British North America and the United States was long and dangerous and many did not live to see the shores of those new lands. Those who did make it were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest and most powerful nations of the world. These Irish immigrants were not only important for peopling the new settlements and cities, they also provided the manpower needed for the many industrial and agricultural projects so essential to these growing nations. Immigration and passenger lists have documented the arrival of various people bearing the name Diven to North America:

Diven Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Diven, who landed in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1643 2

Diven Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Edward Diven, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 2

Diven Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Pat Diven, aged 28, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1803 2
Denis Diven, who landed in New York in 1819 2
Miss Diven, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1822 2

Diven migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Diven Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Adolph Diven, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1849 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Diven (post 1700) +

Michael B. Diven (1970-2020), American politician, Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (2001-2006)
William Diven, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Steuben County, 1847 4
John M. Diven, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Chemung County, 1893 4
Alexander Samuel Diven (1809-1896), American Republican politician, Member of New York State Senate 27th District, 1858-59; U.S. Representative from New York 27th District, 1861-63 4
Alexander Samuel Diven (1809-1896), U.S. Representative from New York
Frank Robert Diven (1859-1914), American professional baseball player
Lamar Diven (b. 1985), American football defensive tackle

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The BOLTON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Bolton.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html