Show ContentsDounie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Gaelic, otherwise known as Early Modern Irish, was used in Ireland from around the year 1200 until the 18th century. It is from this language that we found the first references to the name Dounie as Ó Dúnadhaigh. The name is essentially derived from the word dún which means fort. 1

Early Origins of the Dounie family

The surname Dounie was first found in the twelfth century.

Early History of the Dounie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dounie research. Another 189 words (14 lines of text) covering the year 1420 is included under the topic Early Dounie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dounie Spelling Variations

People who were accounted for by scribes and church officials often had their name recorded many different ways because pronunciation was the only guide those scribes and church officials had to go by. This resulted in the problem of one person's name being recorded under several different variations, creating the illusion of more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname Dounie that are preserved in archival documents are O'Downey, Dawney, MacDowney, MacEldowney, Muldowney and many more.

Early Notables of the Dounie family

Notable among the family name at this time was the O'Dunadhaigh sept found in Luchair, the old name of a region that lay on the borders of...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dounie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


New Zealand Dounie 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:

Dounie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Janet Dounie, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Aloe" in 1863
  • Alexander Dounie, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Aloe" in 1863


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)


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