Donaghey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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 Donaghey originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Donnchadha, which means son of Donnchadh or son of Donagh.
Early Origins of the Donaghey family
The surname Donaghey 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 Donaghey family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Donaghey 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 Donaghey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Donaghey Spelling Variations
During the Middle Ages, surnames were spelt by scribes solely based on how it sounded, one's name could have been recorded many different ways during the life of its bearer. Numerous spelling variations were revealed in the search for the origin of the name Donaghey family name. Variations found include Donaghey, McDonogh, McDonnogh, McDonagh and many more.
Early Notables of the Donaghey family
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Donaghey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Donaghey migration to the United States +
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 Donaghey or one of its variants:
Donaghey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- George Donaghey, who arrived in America in 1795 1
Donaghey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- James Donaghey, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1808 1
- Ann and John Donaghey, who settled in New York State in 1811
- Ann Donaghey, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 1
- Barney Donaghey, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1811 1
- Pat Donaghey, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1811 1
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Donaghey migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Donaghey Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- Alan Donaghey, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
Donaghey migration to New Zealand +
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:
Donaghey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr. William Donaghey, (b. 1856), aged 23, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Lyttleton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1879 2
Contemporary Notables of the name Donaghey (post 1700) +
- George Washington Donaghey (1856-1937), American Democratic Party politician, Cabinetmaker; Furniture and hardware merchant; Building contractor; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arkansas, 1908; Governor of Arkansas, 1909-13
The Donaghey 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.
Citations +
- 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)
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html