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![Show Contents]() McDorman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Today's Irish surnames are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name McDorman comes from the Irish Gaelic Mac Diarmada, which means "son of Diarmuid," or, son of Dermot and belongs to the venerable Irish tradition of patronymic naming. However another source claims the name came from the Irish diarmaid, which meant "the god of arms." 1 Early Origins of the McDorman familyThe surname McDorman was first found in County Roscommon (Irish: Ros Comáin) located in central Ireland in the province of Connacht, where the family is believed to have been descended from the Heremon dynasty of Irish Kings and were known as the Princes of Moylurg, or the Kings of Connacht, known as the Clann Mulroona. Specifically they were descended from Teige, a King of Connacht and his son, Murtogh, Prince of Moylurg. Their ancient territories were in the counties of Roscommon and Galway. They were divided into three septs. One of the septs embraced English rule early and relatively painlessly, the other two suffered at the hands of Strongbow's invasion in the 12th century. Of the other two septs, the more prominent is based in Coolavin, in Sligo. This sept was originally found at Moylurg and controlled a large part of Roscommon. "The MacDermotts were ancient Princes of Moylurg, having their territories in the Barony of Boyle, County Koscommon, and parts of the Parishes of Islandeady, Turlough and Breaffy, in Counties Sligo and Mayo. Their chief fortress "was on an island in Lough Key, near Boyle," and they were hereditary Marshals of Connaught. At the present time Connaught is the province in which the MacDermotts are principally found, and half of the persons of the name in that province belong to County Roscommon. " 2 The head of this branch was one of the few leaders who is still credited as an authentic chieftain by the Genealogical Office of Ireland, conferring the rightful title The MacDermot. Moreover, the chief is also unofficially styled Prince of Coolavin. The third sept held a family seat at Kilronan in the north of Roscommon, and was referred to as MacDermot Roe, from the word ruadh, which means "red." Early History of the McDorman familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our McDorman research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1251, 1320, 1592, 1641, 1707 and 1717 are included under the topic Early McDorman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. McDorman Spelling VariationsWithin the archives researched, many different spelling variations of the surname McDorman were found. These included One reason for the many variations is that scribes and church officials often spelled an individual's name as it sounded. This imprecise method often led to many versions. Dermott, Dermot, Dermitt, Dermit, McDermott, Dermutt, Dermut, MacDermott, McDermot, MacDermot, MacDermitt, McDermitt, MacDermit and many more. Early Notables of the McDorman familyAnother 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McDorman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. McDorman RankingIn the United States, the name McDorman is the 16,081st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3
 McDorman migration to the United States | + |
To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name McDorman or a variant listed above, including:
McDorman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- James McDorman, aged 32, who immigrated to America, in 1921
- George F. McDorman, aged 22, who landed in America, in 1923
- Frank McDorman, aged 56, who immigrated to the United States, in 1924
| Contemporary Notables of the name McDorman (post 1700) | + |
- Jake McDorman (b. 1986), American film and television actor, known for Limitless (2015–2016), Are You There, Chelsea? (2012) and Manhattan Love Story (2014) and The Right Stuff (2020) as Alan Shepard.
- Leslie McDorman (1879-1966), Canadian politician born in Great Village, Nova Scotia, he served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1945 to 1949
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: Honor probataque virtus
Motto Translation: Honour and approved valour.
- O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
- Matheson, Robert E., Special Report on Surnames in Ireland with Notes as to Numeric Strength, Derivation, Ethnology, and Distribution. Dublin: Alexander Thom & Co., 1894. Print
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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McDorman migration to the United States 
Ireland
Scotland
