Show ContentsDawen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Irish name Dawen was originally written in a Gaelic form as Ó Daimhin, derived from the word "damh," which refers to "an ox" or "a stag." 1

Early Origins of the Dawen family

The surname Dawen was first found in County Londonderry (Irish: Doire), a Northern Irish county also known as Derry, in the province of Ulster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Dawen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dawen research. Another 198 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1427 and 1713 are included under the topic Early Dawen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dawen Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name Dawen revealed spelling variations, including Devine, O'Devine, Davin, Devane, Dwane, Duane, Dwain, Dwayne, Dwayn, Devan, Davine, Devyne and many more.

Early Notables of the Dawen family

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

Migration of the Dawen family

A great mass of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century, seeking relief from various forms of social, religious, and economic discrimination. This Irish exodus was primarily to North America. If the migrants survived the long ocean journey, many unfortunately would find more discrimination in the colonies of British North America and the fledgling United States of America. These newly arrived Irish were, however, wanted as a cheap source of labor for the many large agricultural and industrial projects that were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the western world. Early immigration and passenger lists indicate many people bearing the Dawen name: Mary Devine who settled in Virginia in 1653; Felix Devine who settled in Baltimore Maryland in 1804; Bryan Devine settled in New York in 1803; John Davins settled in Virginia in 1636.



  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)


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