Donnan Surname History

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

The spelling and overall form of Irish names often vary considerably. The original Gaelic form of the name Donnan is Ó Dunain. The name is thought to have originally been derived from the word "donn," which meant "brown." 1

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the Irish Gaelic Ó Duibhgenain which roughly translates into English as follows: "dubh" as "black of dark;" "gen" as "a sword or wound;" and "an" as "one who." 2

Early Origins of the Donnan family

The surname Donnan was first found in Roscommon, where they held a family seat at Kilronan. 2 One of the first records of the name was Saint Donnán of Eigg (died 617) and Irish Gaelic priest who attempted to introduce Christianity to the Picts of northwestern Scotland. Donnán is the patron saint of Eigg, an island in the Inner Hebrides where he was martyred. Later, Maelmuire O Dunain, was Bishop of Meath (1096-1117.) The next listing was of Adam O'Dounan in a County Roscommon land case in 1299. 1 Shortly after, Ferrall Muinach O'Duignan began the Church of Kilronan in 1339. This church, over looking Lake Meelagh, was of great national interest in that it is reportedly the burial place of Carolan. John Ballach O'Dugenan was chief of his Clan when they were dispossessed of their estates in Kilronan.

They later were landed gentry in the parish of Dromleas, in the barony of Drumaheare, county of Leitrim, estates which they held until the Cromwellian confiscations in the 17th century. They were noted for their great contributions to history and literature. Manus O'Duigenan contributed to the Book of Ballymote, sometimes called the Book of Kilronan, or the Book of the O'Duigenans, which became one of the chronicles of the Four Masters. 2

Early History of the Donnan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Donnan research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1788 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Donnan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Donnan Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland in the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. The many regional dialects and the predominate illiteracy would have made common surnames appear unrelated to the scribes of the period. Research into the name Donnan revealed spelling variations, including Duignan, O'Duignan, Doonan, O'Doonan, Dignan, O'Dignan, Dignam, O'Donnan, Donnan, O'Dignam, Duigenan, O'Duigenan, Donan and many more.

Early Notables of the Donnan family

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

Donnan migration to the United States +

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish migrating out of their homeland in a great measure due to the oppressive imperial policies of the English government and landowners. Many of these Irish families sailed to North America aboard overcrowded passenger ships. By far, the largest influx of Irish immigrants to North America occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These particular immigrants were instrumental in creation of the United States and Canada as major industrial nations because the many essential elements such as the roadways, canals, bridges, and railways required an enormous quantity of cheap labor, which these poor immigrants provided. Later generations of Irish in these countries also went on to make valuable contributions in such fields as the arts, commerce, politics, and education. Extensive research into immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Donnan:

Donnan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mary Donnan, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 3

Donnan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alexander Donnan, who arrived in Mississippi in 1844 3
Andrew Donnan, who arrived in Mississippi in 1844 3
Jane Donnan, aged 32, who landed in New York, NY in 1855 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Donnan (post 1700) +

Christopher B. Donnan, American archaeologist who researched the Moche civilization of ancient Peru
Mary Fant Donnan (b. 1962), American Democratic nominee for North Carolina Commissioner of Labor in the 2008
William G. Donnan (1834-1908), American pioneer lawyer, Civil War officer and two-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa
Jim Donnan (b. 1945), American former football player and coach and current television analyst for college football
Frederick George Donnan CBE, FRS (1870-1956), Irish physical chemist who discovered the Donnan equilibrium which describes ionic transport in cells
Henry "Harry" Donnan (1864-1956), Australian cricketer who played in 5 Tests between 1892 and 1896
John Donnan Fredericks (1869-1945), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from California 10th District, 1923-27 4
Donnan Stephenson, American Democratic Party politician, Justice of New Mexico State Supreme Court, 1972

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html