Donken History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

The ancestors of the Donken family come from the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. The family name comes from the Gaelic personal name "Donnchad," which means "brown warrior". The personal name Donnchad is composed of two elements; "donn," which means "brown" and "cath," which means "warrior".

Early Origins of the Donken family

The surname Donken was first found in Northumberland, where they held great estates but were a branch of the distinguished Scottish Clan of Duncan who were originally of Iona in the Hebrides, but changed their name and continued to use the basic Coat of Arms of the Duncan Clan.

Early History of the Donken family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Donken research. Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Donken History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Donken Spelling Variations

Historical recordings of the name Donken include many spelling variations. They are the result of repeated translations of the name from Gaelic to English and inconsistencies in spelling rules. They include Donkin, Downkin, Donking, Donken, Downken and others.

Early Notables of the Donken family

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

Donken migration to the United States +

Dalriadan families proliferated in North America. Their descendants still populate many communities in the eastern parts of both the United States and Canada. Some settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists, in the wake of the American War of Independence. Families on both sides of the border have recovered much of their heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and highland games. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Donken or a variant listed above:

Donken Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jone Donken, who landed in Virginia in 1702 1

Donken 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:

Donken Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Catherine Donken, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cashmere" in 1853 2
Herbert Donken, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cashmere" in 1853 2

The Donken 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: Disce pati
Motto Translation: Learn to suffer.

Citations +

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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html