O'Lunney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of O'Lunney

What does the name O'Lunney mean?

The Irish surnames in use today are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name O'Lunney originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Luinigh.

Early Origins of the O'Lunney family

The surname O'Lunney was first found in County Tyrone (Irish: Tír Eoghain), the ancient territory of the O'Neills, now in the Province of Ulster, central Northern Ireland, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the O'Lunney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Lunney research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early O'Lunney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Lunney Spelling Variations

The archives that survive today demonstrate the difficulty experienced by the scribes of this period in their attempts to record these names in writing. Spelling variations of the name O'Lunney dating from that time include Lunney, Lunnie, Looney, Loney, Lunny and many more.

Early Notables of the O'Lunney family

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

Migration of the O'Lunney family

The 18th century saw the slow yet steady emigration of Irish families to British North America and the United States. Those early Irish settlers that left their homeland were typically moderately well off: they were enticed by the promise of a sizable plot of land. However, by the 1840s, this pattern of immigration was gone: immigrants to North America were seeking refuge from the starvation and disease that the Great Potato Famine of that decade brought. The great numbers of Irish that arrived to the United States and the soon to be Canada were instrumental in their quick development as powerful industrial nations. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists uncovered many early immigrants bearing the name O'Lunney: Hugh, John, and Pat Lunny who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1803 and 1839; Bernard, Felix, George, James and William Lunney all arrived in Philadelphia between 1856 and 1875.

The O'Lunney 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: Patriae infelici fidelis
Motto Translation: Faithful to an unhappy country.