Hodonnell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the Hodonnell family

Early History of the Hodonnell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hodonnell research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1571, 1575, 1601, 1602 and 1608 are included under the topic Early Hodonnell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hodonnell Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name Hodonnell revealed spelling variations, including O Donnell, O'Donald, O'Donle, O'Donall, O'Donnell and others.

Early Notables of the Hodonnell family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Red Hugh O'Donnell (1571-1602), Irish chieftain and Earl of Tyrconnel, who fought against the English, but was defeated, with Hugh O'Neill, 2d Earl of Tyrone, at Kinsale in 1601. He was succeeded in...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hodonnell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hodonnell family

In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Hodonnell family came to North America quite early: Charles, Roger, Thomas, William O'Donald who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1840 and 1860; Phillip O'Donel arrived in Boston Massachusetts in 1767.