Donnachey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland
• Scotland

Early Origins of the Donnachey family

Early History of the Donnachey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Donnachey 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 Donnachey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Donnachey Spelling Variations

Irish names recorded during the Middle Ages are characterized by many spelling variations. This preponderance of variations for common names can be explained by the fact that the scribes and church officials that kept records during that period individually decided how to capture one's name. These recorders primarily based their decisions on how the name was pronounced or what it meant. Research into the name Donnachey revealed many variations, including Donaghey, McDonogh, McDonnogh, McDonagh and many more.

Early Notables of the Donnachey family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Donnachey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Donnachey family

Under the rule of England, land ownership in Ireland changed dramatically, and many native Irish families found themselves renting out land to farm from absentee owners. This was one of the prime reasons that immigration to North America began in the late 18th century: Irish farmers dreamed of owning their own parcel of land to work for themselves. At this point, the immigrants were at least of modest means for the passage across the Atlantic was often quite dear. In the 1840s the Great Potato Famine created an exodus of people of quite different means. These people were most often destitute: they either sold anything they had to gain a passage or they were sponsored by philanthropic societies. Many of these immigrants were sick from disease and starvation: as a result many did not survive the long transatlantic journey. Although those settlers that did survive were often despised and discriminated against by people already established in these nations, they were critical to rapid development of the powerful industrial nations of the United States and the country that would later become known as Canada. An examination of immigration and passenger lists shows many persons bearing the name of Donnachey or one of its variants: 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.