Devins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The Irish name Devins 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 Devins family

The surname Devins 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 Devins family

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

Devins Spelling Variations

Many spelling variations of the surname Devins can be found in the archives. One reason for these variations is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. The different spellings that were found include Devine, O'Devine, Davin, Devane, Dwane, Duane, Dwain, Dwayne, Dwayn, Devan, Davine, Devyne and many more.

Early Notables of the Devins family

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

Devins migration to Canada +

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 Devins name:

Devins Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Owen Devins, aged 40, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
Mark Devins, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland

Contemporary Notables of the name Devins (post 1700) +

James Séamus Devins (1873-1922), Irish Sinn Féin politician, a casualty of the Irish Civil War, grandfather to Jimmy Devins
James "Jimmy" Devins (b. 1948), former Irish Fianna Fáil politician and physician, Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation (2008-2009)

Citations +

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