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| Origins Available: |
| | Ireland |
The original Gaelic form of the Irish name Durnan was Ó Duirnin or Ó Dornian, possibly derived from the word "dorn," which means "fist." 1
The surname Durnan was first found in County Antrim (Irish: Aontroim) located in the province of Ulster in present day Northern Ireland. The name is also specific to "Ballydurnian in County Antrim, but Durnian is the more usual form in west Ulster." 2
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Durnan research. Another 164 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1596 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Durnan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The recording of names in Ireland in the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. The many regional dialects and the predominate illiteracy would have made common surnames appear unrelated to the scribes of the period. Research into the name Durnan revealed spelling variations, including Durnan, Durnane, Durneen, Durnin, Durnain, Dornan, Dornain and many more.
Prominent amongst the family at this time was
The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish migrating out of their homeland in a great measure due to the oppressive imperial policies of the English government and landowners. Many of these Irish families sailed to North America aboard overcrowded passenger ships. By far, the largest influx of Irish immigrants to North America occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These particular immigrants were instrumental in creation of the United States and Canada as major industrial nations because the many essential elements such as the roadways, canals, bridges, and railways required an enormous quantity of cheap labor, which these poor immigrants provided. Later generations of Irish in these countries also went on to make valuable contributions in such fields as the arts, commerce, politics, and education. Extensive research into immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Durnan:
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: