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Irish surname

Dillon: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Díolmhain; Díolún · 'son of Dillon' (Woulfe: Dillon is 'a Norman-French personal name formed from an old Teutonic personal name Dill, Dillo, Dilli', with the French diminutive '-on')

Woulfe (1923) explains Dillon as a Norman-French personal name and says the Dillons came to Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion, Sir Henry Dillon receiving from King John large grants of land in Westmeath and Annaly, later known as Dillon's Country. Webb (1878) instead says Sir Henry came in 1185 as secretary to Prince John and places his territory in the present County Longford. Woulfe also notes that the Irish name Ó Duilleáin, common in Kerry, Limerick, Clare and Galway, is often disguised under the anglicised form Dillon.

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Coat of arms associated with the Dillon surname
Irish formDíolmhain; Díolún
Meaning'son of Dillon' (Woulfe: Dillon is 'a Norman-French personal name formed from an old Teutonic personal name Dill, Dillo, Dilli', with the French diminutive '-on')
CountiesWestmeath, Longford, Mayo, Dublin
Other spellings1

Origin of the Dillon name

Woulfe: the Dillons 'came to Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion'; King John granted Sir Henry Dillon lands in Westmeath and Annaly ('Dillon's Country'); a branch settled in Mayo. Webb: Sir Henry came in 1185 as Prince John's secretary, his territory 'comprising the present County of Longford'. Separately, Irish Ó Duilleáin is 'often disguised' as Dillon.[1][2][4]

  1. 1185Sir Henry Dillon comes to Ireland as secretary to Prince John.[4]
  2. 1619Sir James Dillon created Lord Dillon, Baron of Kilkenny West.[4]
  3. 1622Lord Dillon advanced to Earl of Roscommon.[4]
  4. 1690Arthur Dillon goes to France as Colonel of a regiment raised by his father.[5]
  5. 1842John Blake Dillon helps found the Nation newspaper.[7]
  6. 1890117 Dillon births registered, chiefly in Dublin, Limerick, Antrim and Galway.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. WestmeathWoulfe: Sir Henry Dillon's grants from King John lay in Westmeath and Annaly, later 'Dillon's Country'.[1]
Co. LongfordWebb: Sir Henry's territories comprised the present County of Longford and the adjacent country.[4]
Co. MayoWoulfe: a branch of the family also settled in Co. Mayo.[1]
Co. DublinFirst of the counties where Dillon was principally found in 1890.[3]
Co. LimerickPrincipal Dillon county in 1890; Ó Duilleáin, often anglicised Dillon, is common there.[3][2]
Co. GalwayPrincipal Dillon county in 1890; Ó Duilleáin, often anglicised Dillon, is common there.[3][2]
Co. KerryÓ Duilleáin is common in Kerry, often disguised under the anglicised form Dillon.[2]

Notable people named Dillon

Sir Henry Dilloncame to Ireland 1185Came as Prince John's secretary; granted large territories; built abbeys at Athlone and elsewhere.[4]
Wentworth Dillon, Earl of Roscommonc.1633–1684Poet; author of the Essay on Translated Verse; buried in Westminster Abbey.[6]
Count Arthur Dillon1670–1733Born in Roscommon; served nearly forty years in the French army, rising to Lieutenant-General.[5]
John Blake Dillon1814–1866Born in Co. Mayo; helped establish the Nation (1842); MP for Tipperary from 1865.[7]

Other spellings

Delion[4]

The Dillon coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Dillon surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Dillon crest gifts

Clan Dillon Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapJT85 Classic Cap - Dillon Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Dillon Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Dillon surname: questions

Is Dillon an Irish or Norman name?

Woulfe calls Dillon a Norman-French personal name and says the Dillons came to Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion. He adds that the Irish name Ó Duilleáin, common in Kerry, Limerick, Clare and Galway, is often disguised under the anglicised form Dillon.[1][2]

What does the surname Dillon mean?

Woulfe glosses the Irish form Díolmhain or Díolún as 'son of Dillon', Dillon being a Norman-French personal name formed from an old Teutonic personal name Dill, Dillo or Dilli with the French diminutive ending '-on'.[1]

What was Dillon's Country?

The sources differ. Woulfe says Sir Henry Dillon received from King John large grants of land in Westmeath and Annaly, known in later times as Dillon's Country, and that his descendants were barons of Kilkenny West. Webb says Sir Henry came to Ireland in 1185 as secretary to Prince John, and that his territory, comprising the present County of Longford and the adjacent country, was called Dillon's Country until Henry VIII's time.[1][4]

Where in Ireland is the Dillon name found?

Woulfe places Sir Henry Dillon's grants in Westmeath and Annaly, with a branch of the family in Co. Mayo; Webb places his territory in the present County Longford. In 1890 Dillon births were chiefly in Dublin, Limerick, Antrim and Galway.[1][4][3]

Sources

  1. Díolmhain, Díolún — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/diolmhain-diolun.php
  2. Ó Duilleáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/od/o-duilleain.php
  3. Dillon — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/dillon.php
  4. Sir Henry Dillon — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/SirHenryDillon.php
  5. Count Arthur Dillon — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/CountArthurDillon.php
  6. Wentworth Dillon, Earl of Roscommon — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/WentworthDillon.php
  7. John Blake Dillon — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/JohnBlakeDillon.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).