O'Lunny History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of O'Lunny

What does the name O'Lunny mean?

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

Early Origins of the O'Lunny family

The surname O'Lunny 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'Lunny family

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

O'Lunny Spelling Variations

Names written in official documents were generally spelt as they sounded, leading to the problem of one name being recorded under several different variations, creating the illusion in records of more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname O'Lunny that are preserved in documents of the family history are Lunney, Lunnie, Looney, Loney, Lunny and many more.

Early Notables of the O'Lunny family

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

Migration of the O'Lunny family

Irish families began to immigrate to British North America and the United States in the 18th century, but the greatest influx of Irish immigrants came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. The earlier settlers came to North America after a great deal of consideration and by paying relatively high fees for their passage. These settlers were primarily drawn by the promise of land. Those later settlers that came during the 1840's were trying to escape the conditions of poverty, starvation, disease, and death that had stricken Ireland. Due to the enormity of their numbers and the late date of their arrival, these immigrants primarily became hired laborers instead of homesteading settlers like their predecessors. An exhaustive search of immigration and passenger lists has revealed many Irish immigrants North America bearing the name O'Lunny: 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'Lunny 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.