Surname Kildunn - Meaning and Origin

Kildunn: What does the surname Kildunn mean?

The last name Kildunn is an old Irish name that is derived from the Gaelic words cill, which means ‘church’, and dun, meaning ‘hill’. As such, the name is believed to refer to someone who lived near a church or a hill with a church on top of it.

The origin of the name lies in the old Kingdom of Meath, which was situated on the eastern coast of Ireland and inhabited by an area tribes that were later subsumed into the larger Irish kingdom of Smyth. In these tribes, a church was often the centre of the local area and so the name Kildunn was associated with those who lived near one.

The name Kildunn is now most prominent in county Cork, one of the most ancient Irish counties. This could be because the original tribe was scattered when they became part of the larger Smyth kingdom and some of their descendants may have moved to different parts of Ireland.

The Kildunn name is sometimes seen in other parts of the world as a result of the large Irish diaspora, especially to the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries. As such, it is likely to have survived in many different forms such as Kilduff, Kilfutt and Killaird, with more recent variations such as Killdarn and Kildane.

However, whatever the spelling, the name Kildunn is an ancient Irish name with a long, storied history. It’s a reminder of the resilience and strength of a people who have traveled far and wide, but never forgotten the land of their birth.

Kildunn: Where does the name Kildunn come from?

The last name Kildunn is most commonly found in Ireland and the United Kingdom today. This is because the name is of Irish origin. It is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name Mac Giolla Dhunna, which translates to "son of the follower of Donn."

The name Mac Giolla Dhunna was likely given to descendants of the followers of a man called Donn. Donn has been renowned in Irish mythology as the leader of a warrior band in the second century BC.

In more recent centuries, people bearing the last name Kildunn have been found in the provinces of Ulster and Munster, the two areas of modern Ireland where Gaelic was once spoken.

The prevalence of the last name Kildunn is much lower in the United States and other countries. There are isolated pockets, however, including in the states of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New York, which have historically had high concentrations of Irish immigrants. As such, the name could be encountered there, although it is likely much rarer than in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Variations of the surname Kildunn

The surname Kildunn originates from Scotland and the borders of Ireland. Variations of the name include MacKildown, MacDunn, Kildon, Kildown, Kildon, Kildonan, Kildunn, Kildownan, Kildenan, Kildowne, Kilenden, Kilendon, Kileden, Killdunn, Killdane, Killdan, Kildin, Killdon, Kildownae, Kilindon, Killdane, Kiledun and Kildane.

Kildunn is a sept—or variant—of the Clan Haraldson, a clan of people living in Scotland and the borders of Ireland who supported King Harald II Haakonsson (or Harald Hardråde). This family of Scots, as well as those from Ireland, adopted the surname Kildunn. The spelling of the name has changed over the centuries, due to linguistic changes, including influence from the Irish, and from the Gaelic and Norse languages.

The Gaelic form of Kildunn is Mac Ghill Duinn, which literally means "the son of the servant of the brown one". The Norse spelling of Kildunn is Kolrdunn, also derived from the same root.

Kildunn and its variants have also been adopted by the families of other clans, including the Clann MacLeod, MacNeil of Barra, MacAulay, MacKenna, Cornish, Colquhoun, and several others. In addition, there are many branches of the Kildunn family originating in different countries, including the United States and Australia.

The spelling of the surname Kildunn is also sometimes seen as Kildoun, Kilpdoun, Kilpden, Kildoen, and Kildoune. No matter the variant, the surname brought with it a shared identity and pride, as it symbolized surviving those tough times.

Famous people with the name Kildunn

• Conor Kildunn, former Irish Gaelic football player and manager.
• David Kildunn, former player in the Irish chess league.
• Anne Kildunn, an Irish-American painting conservator.
• Daniel Kildunn, an investment banker and director at an asset management firm.
• Emily Kildunn, a New York-based fashion designer.
• Marianne Kildunn, an Irish journalist and Nobel Prize nominee.
• Donal Kildunn, a former Gaelic football star.
• Martin Kildunn, an Irish rugby player and youth coach.
• Siobhan Kildunn, a business consultant and executive coach.
• Matt Kildunn, a Canadian-born actor and organizational development consultant.

Other surnames

Kilduff