Surname Donehue - Meaning and Origin

Donehue: What does the surname Donehue mean?

The last name Donehue is an anglicized version of the Irish surname Donohoe, which originally comes from the Gaelic name Ó Donnchú. This surname is a compound of the elements "donn," meaning brown or brown-haired, and a diminutive of "cu," meaning hound or wolf. Therefore, the name Donohoe typically translates to "descendant of the brown-haired or dark warrior." This surname was originally used to refer to the descendants of a common ancestor identified as Donnchadh. The different spellings, such as Donehue, are a result of the transcription from Gaelic into English and may depend on regional dialects. The surname is most common in Ireland, particularly in the regions of Cork and Kerry.

Donehue: Where does the name Donehue come from?

The Donehue surname is most commonly found today in the United States, particularly in the states of Virginia and North Carolina. It is also found in some parts of the United Kingdom, but the name is much more common in the United States.

The origin of the Donehue surname is understood to be Irish. Specifically, those with the Donehue surname descended from an ancient Irish race known as the Heremon clan. This clan can trace its roots to the 1st century A.D. and was believed to have descended from Milesius, a legendary Celtic king. It was this group of Celts who traveled to Ireland from Spain and went on to establish an Irish nation.

The Donehue name originated as the Anglicized version of the Irish surname “Ó Donnchadha” which means “descendant of Donnchadha”. Donnchadha itself derived from the ancient Irish word “donn” meaning a “brown haired man”, which may indicate the physical appearance of the family's first known member.

The Donehue surname is still quite common today and can be found among individuals with Irish ancestry, usually those with roots in the ancient Heremon clan. It is also common in areas with a strong Irish-American or Irish-Canadian population, like Virginia, North Carolina, and much of the United States east coast, as well as Canada's Atlantic provinces. It is also quite common in parts of England, especially the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, and can still be found across much of the country.

Variations of the surname Donehue

Donehue is a surname originating in Ireland and England. Variations of the surname include Donahue, Donehoo, Donahoo, Donaho, Donaghue, Donahoe, Donahoo, Donohue, Donoughue, Donohoo and Donoohue. When the Donehue name first began to appear in records, there were alternate spellings and variant spellings of the name. As migration to other countries like the United States and Canada increased, there was a further dispersal and spelling variations of the surname developed.

In England, spelling variants of Donehue include Donehoue, Donahou, Donoho, Donoho, Donho, Donahugh and Donehow. In Scotland, the spelling variant Donehew is found, while in Canada and the United States, spellings such as Donahue, Donahoo, and Donnahoo are found. Other spellings such as Donohoo and Donoohoo are found in Northern Ireland.

The Donehue surname is also an Anglicized version of the name O'Duinnchonaigh, a form of the Gaelic O'Donnchadha which translates as meaning descendant of Donnchadh. The spelling Donaghy is an Anglicized form of the Irish name O'Donnchaidhe, which is a variation of this name. The spelling Donahue may have been derived from the Donnelly surname, which originated from Ó Donnghaile in County Cavan, Ireland.

The Donehue surname is unique because it is derived from several different sources and each one has its own set of spelling variants and alternate spellings. There are thousands of Donehue descendants around the world and each one has their own unique variation of the minimalist surname. It is interesting to note how common the Donehue name has become and how much its spelling has been changed over the centuries.

Famous people with the name Donehue

• Liam Donehue: Australian soccer player
• Thomas Donehue: American scholar and college president
• John Donehue: Wrestler, AFL footballer and radio broadcaster
• Bill Donehue: Australian rules footballer
• Peter Donehue: American football coach
• Clement Donehue: Australian rules footballer
• John Donehue Jr.: American college basketball coach
• Sue Donehue: American TV producer and writer
• Charlie Donehue: Former Irish hurler
• Lawrence Donehue: New Zealand rugby league player
• Tim Donehue: Australian rules footballer
• John Donehue Sr.: American college basketball coach
• Seamus Donehue: Irish cricketer
• Mary Donehue: American politician
• Maureen Donehue: American golfer
• Peter Donehue Jr.: Australian soccer player
• Dick Donehue: Australian rules footballer
• Sean Donehue: American soccer player
• Brother Francis Donehue: American friar and theologian
• George Donehue: Australian rules footballer

Other surnames

Donehoo