Show ContentsDyon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The region of ancient France known as Auvergne is where the name Dyon was born. Dyon was a name for someone who lived in Dienne in Auvergne, a medieval French province on the Massíf Central in the south central part of France. 1

Alternatively, the name could have come from Dionne, in Burgundy. 2

Early Origins of the Dyon family

The surname Dyon was first found in Auvergne, a historic province in south central France where this renowned family has held a family seat since ancient times.

By the 17th century, this family were well established in Auvergne and several members of the family were distinctive through their contributions to the community in which they lived and were rewarded with lands, titles and letters patent confirming their nobility. In the 19th century, this honoured family was represented by Count Louis-Edouard-Marie-Hippolyte de Dienne, who was the ancient Flag Lieutenant to Admiral Montaignan.

Antoine Dionne, born in 1641, married Catherine Yvory, born in 1644, in 1660. They settled together on a farm in Sainte-Famille, Quebec, where they had their twelve children. Most of their children eventually settled in Kamouraska and have many ancestors in Canada. 3

Early History of the Dyon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dyon research. Another 146 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1679 and 1684 are included under the topic Early Dyon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dyon Spelling Variations

Most surnames have experienced slight spelling changes. A son may not chose to spell his name the same way that his father did. Many were errors, many deliberate. During the early development of the French language, a person usually gave his version, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Prefixes or suffixes varied. They were optional as they passed through the centuries, or were adopted by different branches to signify either a political or religious adherence. Hence, there a many spelling variations of the name Dyon, including Dionne, de Dion, Dion, Dienne, Dione, Diones, de Dionne, de Dienne, Deonne, Dienn, Diennes, Dienes, Dyone, Dyones, Deon, Deons, Deonns, Dyons, Dyon, Dyonne, Dyonnes and many more.

Early Notables of the Dyon family

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


United States Dyon migration to the United States +

Migration from France to New France or Quebec as it was now more popularly called, continued from France until it fell in 1759. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In the treaty of Utrecht, the Acadians were ceded by France to Britain in 1713. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported. They found refuge in Louisiana. In 1793, the remaining French in these provinces came under British rule. Meanwhile, in Quebec, the French race flourished, founding in Lower Canada, one of the two great solitudes which became Canada. Many of this distinguished family name Dyon were prominent in social, cultural, religious and political affairs in France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Dyon were

Dyon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Dyon, who arrived in Virginia in 1649 4


The Dyon 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: Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina
Motto Translation: Lord, my God, assist me now


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
  4. 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)


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