There are a multitude of ancient meanings and variations associated with the Irish surnames that are now common throughout the modern world. The original Gaelic form of the name Dunfy is Ó Donnchaidh, which means descendant of Donnchadh, a personal name Anglicized as Donogh.
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Early Origins of the Dunfy family
The surname Dunfy was first found in County Kerry (Irish:Ciarraí) part of the former County Desmond (14th-17th centuries), located in Southwestern Ireland, in Munster province, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.
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Early History of the Dunfy family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dunfy research. Another 188 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1014 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Dunfy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Dunfy Spelling Variations
The general population of Ireland, like those of Europe and Britain during the Middle Ages, scribes recorded people's names as they saw fit. As a result, surnames often had many spelling variations. For Dunfy some of these variations included: Dunphy, Dunfy, O'Dunphy, O'Donoghue and others.
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Early Notables of the Dunfy family
More information is included under the topic Early Dunfy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Dunfy family
The 18th and 19th centuries saw many Irish families immigrate to North America in search of land and opportunities. The largest influx of Irish immigrants to the United States and British North America came during the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine laid waste to their homeland. Hundreds of thousands left the island in an attempt to escape the starvation and disease it brought. Although the arrival of such a large number of destitute Irish was not welcomed by the established population in the United States and what would become known as Canada at the time, these Irish were an essential element to the rapid development of these growing industrial nations. They filled the demand for the cheap labor needed for the work in factories and in the construction of bridges, roads, canals, and railways. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many immigrants bearing the name of Dunfy or one of its variants: Edward Dunphy in 1772; joined several previous family members who had already settled in Pennsylvania. Other Dunphys were to later join him in Pennsylvania..
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.
Ireland
