Show ContentsDoan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Doan family

The surname Doan was first found in Cheshire at Duddon, a township, in the parish of Tarvin, union of Great Boughton, Second division of the hundred of Eddisbury.

"The manor was for many generations in moieties between the families of Bruen and Done; the first passed, with Bruen-Stapleford, to Mr. Wilbraham, and the other with the Utkinton estate to Mr. Arden. Duddon Hall, which continued to be the seat of a younger branch of the Dones long after the extinction of the elder branch, is now a farmhouse." 1

However, one of the first records of the family was John de Donne, rector of the church of St. Elphin, Warrington, Lancashire from 1361 to 1362. 2

John Donne (1572-1631), the famous English poet and cleric was born in London into a recusant Roman Catholic family when practice of that religion was illegal in England. His father was of Welsh descent and a warden of the Ironmongers Company in the City of London. Young John studied at the University of Cambridge, but was unable to obtain a degree because of his Catholicism. Despite these challenges, he rose to become one of the most important poets of his era and had to write anti-Catholic polemics to do so. Eventually he was awarded an honorary doctorate in divinity from Cambridge University.

Early History of the Doan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Doan research. Another 242 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1420, 1503, 1527, 1552, 1558, 1572, 1604, 1614, 1617, 1621, 1631, 1662 and 1821 are included under the topic Early Doan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Doan Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Doan include Done, Donn, Donne, Doan, Doane, Doune and others.

Early Notables of the Doan family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir John Donne (c.1420-1503), a Welsh courtier, diplomat and soldier, a notable figure of the Yorkist party; and Sir Charles Doune of Doune.Gabriel Donne or Dunne (d. 1558), was a Cistercian monk who belonged to the family of that name seated at Ralph Donue in Devonshire. 3John Donne the Elder (1572-1631), was an English poet, satirist, lawyer and a cleric in the Church of England. Born in London...
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Doan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Doan Ranking

In the United States, the name Doan is the 3,668th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 4 However, in France, the name Doan is ranked the 6,855th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 5


Doan migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Doan Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Henry Doan, aged 23, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 6

Doan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Doan Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mrs. Rachael Doan U.E., "Doane" born in Buck's County, Pennsylvania, USA who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harboutr, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 she is listed as signing the Quaker Loyalist Agreement 7
  • Mr. Aaron Doan U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 7
  • Mr. Joseph Doan Sr., U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 7
  • Mr. Joseph Doan II U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 7
  • Mr. Moses Doan U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Doan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Abraham Doan, who arrived in Canada in 1836
  • Ebenezer Doan, who landed in Canada in 1836
  • Elias Doan, who arrived in Canada in 1836
  • Mahlon Doan, who landed in Canada in 1836

Contemporary Notables of the name Doan (post 1700) +

  • Walter Rudolph Doan (1887-1935), American professional baseball pitcher
  • Robert Eachus Doan (1831-1919), U.S. Representative from Ohio
  • William Doan (1792-1847), U.S. Representative from Ohio
  • Daniel Doan (1914-1993), American innovator, best known for his classic hiking books
  • John Doan (b. 1951), American musician, one of the best-known harp guitarists in the world
  • John Michael "Jack" Doan (b. 1972), American veteran professional wrestling referee
  • Robert Eachus Doan (1831-1919), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Ohio 10th District, 1891-93 8
  • Leland Ira Doan (1894-1974), American Republican politician, Member of University of Michigan Board of Regents, 1952-59 8
  • John L. Doan, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for U.S. Representative from Indiana 9th District, 1906 8
  • Arthur M. Doan, American politician, Mayor of Nogales, Arizona, 1965-79 8
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Doan 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: Omnia mei dona Dei
Motto Translation: All my goods are the gift of God.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. 'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  6. 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)
  7. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook