Doyen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Doyen family

The surname Doyen was first found in Cheshire at Duddon, a township, in the parish of Tarvin, union of Great Boughton, Second division of the hundred of Eddisbury.

"The manor was for many generations in moieties between the families of Bruen and Done; the first passed, with Bruen-Stapleford, to Mr. Wilbraham, and the other with the Utkinton estate to Mr. Arden. Duddon Hall, which continued to be the seat of a younger branch of the Dones long after the extinction of the elder branch, is now a farmhouse." 1

However, one of the first records of the family was John de Donne, rector of the church of St. Elphin, Warrington, Lancashire from 1361 to 1362. 2

John Donne (1572-1631), the famous English poet and cleric was born in London into a recusant Roman Catholic family when practice of that religion was illegal in England. His father was of Welsh descent and a warden of the Ironmongers Company in the City of London. Young John studied at the University of Cambridge, but was unable to obtain a degree because of his Catholicism. Despite these challenges, he rose to become one of the most important poets of his era and had to write anti-Catholic polemics to do so. Eventually he was awarded an honorary doctorate in divinity from Cambridge University.

Early History of the Doyen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Doyen research. Another 242 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1420, 1503, 1527, 1552, 1558, 1572, 1604, 1614, 1617, 1621, 1631, 1662 and 1821 are included under the topic Early Doyen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Doyen Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Doyen are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Doyen include: Done, Donn, Donne, Doan, Doane, Doune and others.

Early Notables of the Doyen family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir John Donne (c.1420-1503), a Welsh courtier, diplomat and soldier, a notable figure of the Yorkist party; and Sir Charles Doune of Doune.Gabriel Donne or Dunne (d. 1558), was a Cistercian monk who belonged to the family of that name seated at Ralph Donue in Devonshire. 3John Donne the Elder (1572-1631), was an English poet, satirist, lawyer and a cleric in the Church of England. Born in London...
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Doyen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Doyen Ranking

In France, the name Doyen is the 1,107^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,920 people with that name. 4

Doyen migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Doyen or a variant listed above:

Doyen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John B E Doyen, aged 34, who landed in Missouri in 1845 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Doyen (post 1700) +

Ross O. Doyen (1926-2014), American rancher, farmer, and politician, Member of the Kansas House of Representatives (1959-1968) and Senate (1969-1992)
William Doyen, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for U.S. Representative from Missouri 8th District, 1938, 1940, 1944 6
Scot Doyen, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Texas State House of Representatives 20th District, 1998 6
Lieutenant-General Paul-Andr Doyen (1881-1974), French Military-Governor of Lyon (1945-1946) 7

The Doyen Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Omnia mei dona Dei
Motto Translation: All my goods are the gift of God.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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 2016, January 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 3) Paul-Andr Doyen. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Doyen/Paul-Andr%C3%A9/France.html