O'Dunphy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of O'Dunphy

What does the name O'Dunphy mean?

There are a multitude of ancient meanings and variations associated with the Irish surnames that are now common throughout the modern world. The original Gaelic form of the name O'Dunphy is Ó Donnchaidh, which means descendant of Donnchadh, a personal name Anglicized as Donogh.

Early Origins of the O'Dunphy family

The surname O'Dunphy was first found in County Kerry (Irish:Ciarraí) part of the former County Desmond (14th-17th centuries), located in Southwestern Ireland, in Munster province, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the O'Dunphy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Dunphy research. Another 188 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1014 and 1600 are included under the topic Early O'Dunphy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Dunphy Spelling Variations

The scribes who created documents long before either the Gaelic or English language resembled their standardized versions of today recorded words as they sounded. Consequently, in the Middle Ages the names of many people were recorded under different spellings each time they were written down. Research on the O'Dunphy family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Dunphy, Dunfy, O'Dunphy, O'Donoghue and others.

Early Notables of the O'Dunphy family

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

Migration of the O'Dunphy family

Suffering from poverty and racial discrimination, thousands of Irish families left the island in the 19th century for North America aboard cramped passenger ships. The early migrants became settlers of small tracts of land, and those that came later were often employed in the new cities or transitional work camps. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Although the immigrants from this period were often maligned when they arrived in the United States, they provided the cheap labor that was necessary for the development of that country as an industrial power. Early immigration and passenger lists have revealed many immigrants bearing the name O'Dunphy: Edward Dunphy in 1772; joined several previous family members who had already settled in Pennsylvania. Other Dunphys were to later join him in Pennsylvania..

The O'Dunphy 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: Generosa virtus nihil timet
Motto Translation: Generous valour fears nothing