Show ContentsDennielston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Dalriadan kingdom of ancient Scotland was the home of the ancestors of the Dennielston family. Their name indicates that they lived near a place named Danzielstoun, in Scotland. Thus Dennielston is a local surname, which belongs to a category of hereditary surnames derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Dennielston family

The surname Dennielston was first found in Renfrewshire, at Danzielstoun, in the parish of Kilmalcolm. "The manor took its name from some man named Daniel, and it bore this name as early as the reign of Malcolm IV", 1 who died in 1165. It is generally thought that the town was founded about 1060.

Early History of the Dennielston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dennielston research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1694 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Dennielston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dennielston Spelling Variations

Translation in medieval times was an undeveloped science and was often carried out without due care. For this reason, many early Scottish names appeared radically altered when written in English. The spelling variations of Dennielston include Denison, Denniston, Dennistoun, Deniston, Denistoun, Dinniston, Dinnistoun and many more.

Early Notables of the Dennielston family

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

Ireland Migration of the Dennielston family to Ireland

Some of the Dennielston family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dennielston family

The descendants of the Dalriadan families who made the great crossing of the Atlantic still dot communities along the east coast of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many of the settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Clan societies and highland games have allowed Canadian and American families of Scottish descent to recover much of their lost heritage. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name Dennielston or a variant listed above include: Sam Denniston who settled in New York in 1774; and John Denniston, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1802.



  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)


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