Show ContentsDonnie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Donnie Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Donnie

What does the name Donnie mean?

The Donnie surname is a habitational name, taken on from Downhead in Somerset, or Donhead in Wiltshire. These place names both derived from the Old English words "dun," meaning "hill," and "he-afod," meaning the geographic "head" of land. There was also a place named Dunnet in Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland. It is within the Parish of Dunnet.

Early Origins of the Donnie family

The surname Donnie was first found in Wiltshire. Originally from Normandy, the name was originally spelt Dannet, for De Anet or D'Alneto. D'Alnai is mentioned at the Battle of Hastings 1 as 'Sire d'Alnai.' 2

To the north in Scotland, the name is of local origin from Dunnet in Caithness. 3 The local pronunciation is "Dinnet. Sir Gilbert Dynnocht was vicar of Arndurnes (Durness) before 1541, as Sir Gilbert Dunnat, vicar of Ra, is recorded as deceased in 1550. Master John Donat or Dunnat appears as rector of Cannesbe (Canisbay) in 1577 and 1581. Mergaret Dinit appears in Snawburgh, 1648 (Shetlard), and Katharine Donnat in Holand-Mey appears in 1663 (Caithness). Matthew Dunnett and George Dunnett in Gilles, Caithness, to be apprehended as rebels, 1670. Dunet was registered in 1700, " 4

Early History of the Donnie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Donnie research. Another 278 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1246, 1296, 1500, 1577, 1648 and 1663 are included under the topic Early Donnie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Donnie Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Donnie are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Donnie include: Dunnett, Dunnet, Donnatt, Donnat, Downett, Downatt, Dunett, Dunet, Donnett and many more.

Early Notables of the Donnie family

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

Migration of the Donnie family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Donnie or a variant listed above: John Dunnet who settled in America in 1772. By the mid-1800' s, the Dunnetts were among the many who traveled across the mid-west to the coast of California to make their home in San Francisco..

Contemporary Notables of the name Donnie (post 1700) +

  • Donnie Ray Koonce (b. 1959), retired American basketball player who was drafted in the fourth round of the 1981 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons
  • Donnie Letterman, American director and editor, known for Where's Everybody At? (2023) and To the End (2024)
  • Donnie Caison, American yacht builder and founder of Caison Yachts, North Carolina
  • Donnie Dippel, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Texas State House of Representatives 17th District, 2008 5
  • Donnie Duncan (1940-2016), American football coach and college athletics administrator, 26th head football coach for the Iowa State University Cyclones (1979-1982)
  • Donnie Ray Oldham (1951-2005), American NFL football defensive back
  • Donnie Demers, American songwriter, pianist and record producer
  • Donnie Shell (b. 1952), former American Football strong safety
  • Donnie Fritts (b. 1942), American session musician and songwriter
  1. Wace, Robert, Roman de Brut England: 1155. Digital
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
  4. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html

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