| ![Show Contents]() Donnan Surname History
Etymology of DonnanWhat does the name Donnan mean? 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." (O'Hart) Early Origins of the Donnan familyThe surname Donnan was first found in Roscommon, where they held a family seat at Kilronan. (O'Hart) 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. (O'Hart) Early History of the Donnan familyThis 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 VariationsScribes and church officials, lacking today's standardized spelling rules, recorded names by how they were pronounced. This imprecise guide often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Donnan are preserved in documents of the family history. The various spellings of the name that were found include 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 familyMore 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 | + |
A massive wave of Irish immigrants hit North America during the 19th century. Although many early Irish immigrants made a carefully planned decision to leave left Ireland for the promise of free land, by the 1840s immigrants were fleeing a famine stricken land in desperation. The condition of Ireland during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s can be attributed to a rapidly expanding population and English imperial policies. Those Irish families that arrived in North America were essential to its rapid social, industrial, and economic development. Passenger and immigration lists have revealed a number of early Irish immigrants bearing the name Donnan:
Donnan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Mary Donnan, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 2
Donnan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Alexander Donnan, who arrived in Mississippi in 1844 2
- Andrew Donnan, who arrived in Mississippi in 1844 2
- Jane Donnan, aged 32, who landed in New York, NY in 1855 2
| 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 3
- Donnan Stephenson, American Democratic Party politician, Justice of New Mexico State Supreme Court, 1972
- MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
- 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
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