Dynan

\n\nDynan is a nick name based surname (ie one that describes and ancestors face, figure, temper, morals or habits. It is one of a number of anglicised versions of a name O\'Duinnin. Other spelling variations include Dinan, Dignan, Dinant, Dineen, Dinneen, Dinane, Dinat, Dinham, Dynham, Dyneham, Deneen, Denoon, Denune, Dunnion, Downing, Dunning, Denning; O\'Dunneen.\n\nO\'Dunnion is derived from the celtic word \'duinnin\', meaning "dark brown". The name literally means "the descendant of the son of the tawny one", but the name is rarely found with the \'O\' prefix.\n\nThe name and its derivations are found all over Europe, in fact anywhere there were Celts, including in\n\n<ul>\n <li>France During the 10th century in the city of Dinan in Brittany</li>\n <li>Belgium End of the 11th, beginning of the 12th centuries, in the city of Dinant (once Deonan) and later the name Dinand appeared in the Neufchateau region of Belgium in the early 1600s moving to the La Rochelle area of France</li>\n <li>England First found in Monmouthshire where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated at Dynham with manor and estates in that shire.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\nAt the turn of the last century Dineen and Dinneen were the two preferred spellings of the name, both of which were centered in Co. Cork. Earlier in the census of 1659, Dinane was a principal name of county Cork and even at this early stage the prefix "o" was largely becoming defunct, unlike just a century earlier, when the sept was commemorated as follows by the topographical poet O\'Heerin:\n\n<blockquote>Uaithni Agamar, green are its hills, \nThe Eoganacht of the lands of Cathbadh; \nDelightful are the borders of the extensive plain, \nThe hereditary right of the clan O Duinnin.</blockquote>\n\nAfter the defeat of the Irish clans, some of the clan adopted the English surname of Downing, especially in the Kerry, where the name variant of O\'DUNIN had been used.\n\nDuinnin is the name of a sept primarily associated in medieval times with the southern province of Munster and more particularly with the south-western region of the province, now known as the county of Cork, but in former times Corca Laoidhe.\n\nThe Corca Luighe were a pre-Milesian race and the name Luighe was common among their early chiefs. One of those, Lughaidh Mac Con was High King of Ireland. According to the Book of Ballymote, Corca Luighe extended from Beann Finn westward to Tragumina and Lough Ine and from Beal Atha Buidhe to Tragh Claen at the rock. Each tuath of Corca Luighe was governed by a taoiseach and beneath him were the hereditary leaders. Tuatha O Fitcheallaigh and O Dunghalaigh merged in Clonakilty. O\'Fehilly and O\'Dunlea were the taoiseacha. Oglaigh or Leaders are represented by names which still survive, i.e. Duggan, Keady, Eady, Anglin, Kennedy, Cagney, Hennessy, Leary, Dineen, Cronin, Hayes or O\'Hea, Murray, Dulea, Coffey, Cowhig, Cullinane, Downey, Lahiffe, Shinnick, Deady and Muintir Oh Illigh or Hill. The O\'Driscolls were the ruling race. These races had been gradually pushed south of the Bandon river by the Eoghanachta of which the ruling families were the O\'Mahony\'s and the O\'Donoghues.\n\nThe sept since its inception has had a strong literary tradition, providing a long line of hereditary bards and historians to the chief septs of their territory, the MacCarthy Mor and the O\'Sullivans. Even after the demise of the native Gaelic order, this tradition was carried on by such men as Tadgh O\'Dinneen, poet to the earl of Clancarty and a prominent member of the seventeenth century school of poetry at Blarney They are also noted as being chiefs of Uaithne, now the barony of Owneybeg in Limerick.\n\n\n<h3>Coat of Arms & Crests</h3>\n\n\nThere are a number of different coats in circulation. The accepted coat for the Irish O\'Duinnin Sept is\n\nAzure (blue) shield with two swords in saltire points upwards argent pommels and hilts are between four roses. There is a naturally colored stag\'s head above the sheild and helmet\n\n\n\nOther crests identified potentially belong to European families or other unidentified derivative families.\n\nCREST A notched frontal shield with a black flank. The shield is split into two fields. There are three green diamonds in the right field, which is silver. The left field, which is also silver, has three blue beams which symbolize clear character, fertility, and steadfastness and faithfulness to the Royal house.\n\nCREST ORNAMENT The colors of dark blue, dark red, and gold harmoniously surround the Helmet and Shield.\n\nHELMET A frontal altgotischer helmet in the color of silver, with a closed visor, a black shoulder band and red armlets.\n\nHEAD ORNAMENT Over a banner in the colors of blue and green a feather ornament in the West Indian colors of silver and blue as a symbol of harmony.\n\nMOTTO Constans et Sapiens = Steadfastness to Man\n\n\nBLAZON OF ARMS: Azure a lion passant between, three crescents gules. Translation: The lion is the symbol of Courage, Majesty and Generosity.\n\nCREST: A stag�s head proper.\n\nMOTTO: FIDE ET ANIMO Translation: Faith and Courage \n\n\n\nDignan \nThis is an Irish surname which derives from the ancient pre 9th century Gaelic O\'Duibhgeannain. The translation is \'the descendant of the sons of the black haired chief\' (or similar), and it is claimed that the clan were the poets and bards to the leading clans of the counties Leitrim, Roscommon, and Longford. Their principle place of residence was the village of Kilronan, County Roscommon, where they were the \'erenaghs\'. This was a hereditary position and can be described as the keepers of the church lands, and collectors of tithes. It is also claimed that the clan maintained a school of bards at Castle Fore, Leitrim, where they were resident in 1636, Peregrine O\'Duigenan who died in 1664 being one of the Four Masters. Many of the clan served in King James 11\'s Catholic Army of 1690 which failed to defeat William 111 of Orange and England at the battle of the Boyne. In consequence the clan was dispossessed of its lands, the prefix O\' was also dropped after the defeat, and in this case it has never been replaced. The spelling is now usually Duigenan, with the variants Deignan and Dignan or Dignam. Although the clan has produced many members of the Catholic clergy, it also suffered widely during the Irish Famine of 1846 - 1848. Amongst the name holders that emigrated were Catholine Dignan, who is recorded in the shipping registers as \'nought years old\' and who left Ireland on July 13th 1846, on the ship \'Charles Humberton of Liverpool\', bound for New York. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Magnus O\'Duigenan, which was dated Circa 1415, compiler of \'The book of Ballymote\', during the reign of King Henry V of England, \'The victor of Agincourt\', 1413 - 1422. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.