Dinken History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Etymology of Dinken

What does the name Dinken mean?

The west coast of Scotland and the rocky Hebrides islands are the ancient home of the Dinken family. The root of their name is the Gaelic personal name "Donnchad," which means "brown warrior". The personal name Donnchad is composed of two elements; "donn," which means "brown" and "cath," which means "warrior".

Early Origins of the Dinken family

The surname Dinken was first found in Northumberland, where they held great estates but were a branch of the distinguished Scottish Clan of Duncan who were originally of Iona in the Hebrides, but changed their name and continued to use the basic Coat of Arms of the Duncan Clan.

Early History of the Dinken family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dinken research. Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dinken History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dinken Spelling Variations

Spelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. Dinken has appeared in various documents spelled Donkin, Downkin, Donking, Donken, Downken and others.

Early Notables of the Dinken family

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

Migration of the Dinken family

Ancestors of many of the Dalriadan families who crossed the Atlantic still live along the east coast of the United States and Canada. Some Scottish settlers arrived in Canada during the American War of Independence as United Empire Loyalists, while others stayed south to fight for a new nation. The descendants of Scottish settlers in both countries began to rediscover their heritage in the 19th and 20th centuries through Clan societies and highland games. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Dinken or a variant listed above: Patrick Donkin arrived in Pennsylvania in 1820.

The Dinken 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: Disce pati
Motto Translation: Learn to suffer.