Show ContentsDonis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The prestigious surname Donis originated in the beautiful and majestic region of Poitou in France. France was notorious for its eccentric kings, but it was revered for its contributions to European art and culture. The surname Donis originally came from the region of Poitou. It is a topographical name, which is a type of hereditary surname. Topographical surnames were taken from physical features or landmarks that the family lived near.

Early Origins of the Donis family

The surname Donis was first found in Poitou, where early members of the lineage have been cited since the twelfth century, such as Guillaume Daniel, a knight recorded in 1155. Another Daniel, known only as Master, was Chaplain of the French Empire in 1186. Leonard Daniel was alderman of Poitiers in 1355. Many individuals with the name Daniel are cited around 1335 in Normandy: of Boisdemets, Pernay, Vauguion. Lambert Daneau was honoured with noble status in 1428, studied law, and received his doctor of law. 1

Early History of the Donis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Donis research. The years 1523, 1592, 1601, 1619, 1649, 1650, 1754, 1787, 1794, 1806, 1818, 1858, 1878 and 1879 are included under the topic Early Donis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Donis Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Danis, Daniel, Daneau, Danel, Danès, Danet, Daniau, Deniau, Danis, Dany, Danielli, Danielis, Danielet, Daniellot, Daniélou and many more.

Early Notables of the Donis family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Pierre Danès, who was named curator of Saint-Josse in Paris in 1523 and was known as one of the most brilliant humanists of his time. Charles Daniel was a famous Marine in Dieppe in 1592; Saint Antoine Daniel was a Jesuit in Dieppe in 1601; Catherine Daniélou was a mystic in Quimper in 1619; Gabriel Daniel was a Jesuit in Rouen in 1649; Pierre Danet was...
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Donis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Donis Ranking

In the United States, the name Donis is the 14,927th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2


United States Donis migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Donis Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Juan Donis, who landed in America in 1828 3
  • Damian Donis, who arrived in New Spain in 1836 3


  1. Hozier, Charles D, and Antoine Bachelin-Delforenne. État présent De La Noblesse française (1883-1887): Contenant Le Distionnaire De La Noblesse Contemporaine Et Larmorial général De France, Dapres Les Manuscrits De Ch. D Hozier. Librairie Des Bibliophiles, 1884. Print.
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  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)


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