Donagh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

All Irish surnames have underlying meanings that can be traced back to their fullest points when the names first appeared in a Gaelic form. The name Donagh originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Donnchadha, which means son of Donnchadh or son of Donagh.

Early Origins of the Donagh family

The surname Donagh was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Donagh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Donagh research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1698, 1728, 1746, 1779, 1850, 1878 and 1916 are included under the topic Early Donagh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Donagh Spelling Variations

The scribes who created documents long before either the Gaelic or English language resembled their standardized versions of today recorded words as they sounded. Consequently, in the Middle Ages the names of many people were recorded under different spellings each time they were written down. Research on the Donagh family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Donaghey, McDonogh, McDonnogh, McDonagh and many more.

Early Notables of the Donagh family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

Michael MacDonagh, O.P. (1698-1746), an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Kilmore from 1728 to 1746

Migration of the Donagh family

Many Irish families boarded ships bound for North America in the middle of 19th century to escape the conditions of poverty and racial discrimination . Although these immigrants often arrived in a destitute state, they went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. An inquiry into many immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants to North America bearing the Donagh family name: James Donaghy who settled in New England in 1805; John (six of this name) arrived in Philadelphia between 1811 and 1867; Alexander Donaghy settled in New York in 1804.

Contemporary Notables of the name Donagh (post 1700) +

Charles Donagh Maginnis (1867-1955), Irish architect, co-founder of the firm Maginnis & Walsh
Donagh MacDonagh (1912-1968), Irish dramatist, writer, judge, presenter and broadcaster

The Donagh 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: Virtutis gloria merces
Motto Translation: Glory is the reward of valour.