| ![Show Contents]() Drinnent History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Ireland Many variations of the name Drinnent have evolved since the time of its initial creation. In Gaelic it appeared as Ó Draighnean, from the word draighnean, which means blackthorn. 1 Early Origins of the Drinnent familyThe surname Drinnent was first found in County Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, and County Clare where O'Drennan was chief of Slieve Eise, Finn, and of Cinel-Seudna, a district on the borders of both counties. 2 Early History of the Drinnent familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Drinnent research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1696, 1736 and 1768 are included under the topic Early Drinnent History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Drinnent Spelling VariationsA name was often recorded during the Middle Ages under several different spelling variations during the life of its bearer because literacy was rare there was no real push to clearly define any of the languages found in the British Isles at that time. Variations found of the name Drinnent include Drennan, O'Drennan, Drenan, O'Drenan, Thornton and many more. Early Notables of the Drinnent familyAnother 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Drinnent Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Drinnent familyIn the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Drinnent family came to North America quite early: William Drennan who settled in New Jersey in 1685; James Drennan settled in New York State in 1803; Michael Drennan settled in Philadelphia in 1856; Edward Thorneton settled in Virginia in 1663.
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: Nec opprimere nec opprimi
Motto Translation: Neither to oppress nor to be oppressed.
- MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
- O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
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