Show ContentsDiamond History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The original Gaelic form of the name Diamond was Ó Diamain. [1]

Early Origins of the Diamond family

The surname Diamond 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 Diamond family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Diamond research. Another 244 words (17 lines of text) covering the year 1000 is included under the topic Early Diamond History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Diamond Spelling Variations

The Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period. The following variations for the name Diamond were encountered in the archives: Diamond, Dymond, Dyment, Diment, Dymott, Dimont and many more.

Early Notables of the Diamond family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

  • O'Diamond of County Londonderry

Diamond World Ranking

In the United States, the name Diamond is the 1,648th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. [2] However, in Quebec, Canada, the name Diamond is ranked the 908th most popular surname. [3] And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Diamond is the 264th popular surname with an estimated 169 people with that name. [4]


United States Diamond migration to the United States +

In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Diamond family came to North America quite early:

Diamond Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Diamond, who settled in Maine in 1620
Diamond Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jacob Diamond, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1772 [5]
Diamond Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Diamond, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 [5]
  • James Diamond, aged 20, who arrived in New York, NY in 1834 [5]
  • Neill Diamond, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1836 [5]
  • Matthew Diamond, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 [5]
  • Daniel Diamond, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 [5]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Diamond migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Diamond Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Abram Diamond, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
  • Robert Diamond, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Private John Diamond U.E. (b. 1759) born in Fishkill, Dutchess County, New York, USA from Fishkill, Dutchess County, New York, USA who settled in South Fredericksburgh [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1783 he served in Captain Peter Ruttan's Company of Rogers Rangers he died in 1845, he had 7 children [6]
  • Mr. Jacob Diamond U.E. who settled in Fredericksburgh [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1784 [6]
  • Mr. John Diamond U.E. who settled in Ernest Town [Ernestown], Ontario c. 1786 [6]
Diamond Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Rose Diamond, aged 24, who arrived in Quebec in 1834
  • Rose, Diamond Jr., aged 16, who landed in Quebec in 1834
  • William Diamond, aged 14, who arrived in Quebec in 1834
  • Anne Diamond, aged 11, who landed in Quebec in 1834
  • Ellen Diamond, aged 20, who landed in Quebec in 1834
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Diamond migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Diamond Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Sarah Diamond, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 14 years for theft, transported aboard the "Buffalo" on 4th May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [7]
  • Miss Elizabeth Diamond who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Edward" on 23rd April 1834, arriving in Tasmania, (Van Diemen's Land) [8]
  • Miss Ellen Diamond, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 20th June 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [9]
  • Miss Sarah Ann Diamond who was convicted in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 4th September 1847, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [10]
  • Samuel Diamond, aged 23, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Rodney" [11]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Diamond migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Diamond Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Diamond (Dimond), (b. 1802), aged 39, British agricultural labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 [12]
  • Mrs. Judith Diamond (Dimond), (b. 1804), aged 37, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 [12]
  • Mr. Sydney Diamond (Dimond), (b. 1829), aged 12, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 [12]
  • Miss Mary Diamond (Dimond), (b. 1838), aged 3, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 [12]
  • Mr. Diamond (Dimond), (b. 1830), aged 11, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 [12]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Diamond (post 1700) +

  • Dustin Diamond (1977-2021), American actor who played the role of Screech on the popular 1990s high school comedy "Saved by the Bell"
  • Reed Diamond (b. 1967), American actor
  • Robert Diamond (b. 1951), London-based American banker
  • Milton Diamond (b. 1934), American professor of anatomy and reproductive biology
  • Michael Diamond (b. 1965), American musician, member of the Beastie Boys
  • Neil Diamond (b. 1941), American singer/songwriter
  • I. A. L. Diamond (1920-1988), Romanian-born American film writer
  • Gregg Diamond (1949-1999), American musician
  • David Diamond (1915-2005), American composer
  • Bernard L. Diamond (1912-1990), American Professor of law and psychiatry
  • ... (Another 41 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Prince of Wales
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Fred Diamond, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking [14]
SS Caribou
  • Mr. Preston Diamond (b. 1903), British passenger who was Royal Army from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he died in the sinking


The Diamond 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: Miseris Succurrere Disco
Motto Translation: I learn to succour the distressed.


Suggested Readings for the name Diamond +

  • Genealogy of the Dymond (also Diamond), Williams, and Related Families by Robert Herschel Dymond.
  • James Diamond, 1781-1849, and His Descendants by Laura P. Marbut.

  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
  4. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  5. 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)
  6. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/buffalo
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th January 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/edward
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cadet/
  11. South Australian Register Wednesday 21st February 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Rodney 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/rodney1855.shtml
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  14. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


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