Donow 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 Donow originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Donnchadha, which means son of Donnchadh or son of Donagh.

Early Origins of the Donow family

The surname Donow 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 Donow family

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

Donow Spelling Variations

One explanation for the many variations is that scribes and church officials frequently spelled the name as it sounded: an imprecise method at best. Understandably then, various spellings of the surname Donow were found in the many archives researched. These included Donaghey, McDonogh, McDonnogh, McDonagh and many more.

Early Notables of the Donow family

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

Migration of the Donow family

Suffering from poverty and racial discrimination, thousands of Irish families left the island in the 19th century for North America aboard cramped passenger ships. The early migrants became settlers of small tracts of land, and those that came later were often employed in the new cities or transitional work camps. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Although the immigrants from this period were often maligned when they arrived in the United States, they provided the cheap labor that was necessary for the development of that country as an industrial power. Early immigration and passenger lists have revealed many immigrants bearing the name Donow: 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.

The Donow 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.