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Irish surname

Dennis: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Donnchadha, Mac Donnchaidh; also an anglicised form of Ó Donnghusa · 'son of Donnchadh' (brown warrior, or strong warrior); or (Ó Donnghusa) 'descendant of Donnghus' (brown-choice)

Woulfe (1923) lists Dennis under two different headwords. First as one of many anglicised forms of Mac Donnchadha, 'son of Donnchadh', of which he writes 'There are at least three distinct families bearing this surname' — two Irish and one Scottish. Second as a form of Ó Donnghusa, 'descendant of Donnghus', 'the name of an ecclesiastical family in Ulster; also of a Munster family, chiefly in Cork and Waterford'. In 1890, Matheson's birth indexes held 10 Dennis entries including spelling varieties (7 spelled Dennis) in Ireland, principally in Dublin and Cork.

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Coat of arms associated with the Dennis surname
Irish formMac Donnchadha, Mac Donnchaidh; also an anglicised form of Ó Donnghusa
Meaning'son of Donnchadh' (brown warrior, or strong warrior); or (Ó Donnghusa) 'descendant of Donnghus' (brown-choice)
CountiesCork, Sligo, Clare, Limerick
Other spellings5
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Dennis crest gifts

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Origin of the Dennis name

Woulfe lists Dennis among many anglicised forms of Mac Donnchadha, 'son of Donnchadh', and writes that 'There are at least three distinct families bearing this surname': (1) 'a branch of the MacCarthys, who were chiefs of Duhallow, in Co. Cork', whose 'principal seat was at Kanturk'; (2) 'a branch of the MacDermotts of Moylurg, who were chiefs of Tirerrill and Corran, in Co. Sligo, and resided at Ballymote', an offshoot of whom 'settled in Co. Clare, and thence spread into Co. Limerick'; and (3) 'a Scottish clan in Perthshire, said to be a branch of the MacDonalds'. He also lists Dennis under Ó Donnghusa, 'the name of an ecclesiastical family in Ulster; also of a Munster family, chiefly in Cork and Waterford'.[1][2]

  1. 189010 Dennis birth entries incl. varieties (7 spelled Dennis); principally Dublin and Cork.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. CorkMacCarthy branch of Mac Donnchadha were chiefs of Duhallow, Co. Cork; Ó Donnghusa's Munster family also chiefly here.[1][2]
Co. SligoMacDermott branch of Mac Donnchadha were chiefs of Tirerrill and Corran, Co. Sligo, residing at Ballymote.[1]
Co. ClareAn offshoot of the Sligo MacDermott branch of Mac Donnchadha settled in Co. Clare.[1]
Co. LimerickThe Clare offshoot of the Sligo MacDermott branch 'thence spread into Co. Limerick'.[1]
Co. WaterfordÓ Donnghusa's Munster family was 'chiefly in Cork and Waterford'.[2]
Co. DublinFirst county Matheson names for Dennis births in 1890.[3]

Other spellings

M'Denis · Denis · Denison · Dennison · Denson[1]

Scottish connection

The third family in Woulfe's Mac Donnchadha entry is '(3) A Scottish clan in Perthshire, said to be a branch of the MacDonalds. This family now anglicised their name Duncan, and some of them call themselves Robertson.' Woulfe does not give Dennis as a form used by that Scottish family.[1]

The Dennis coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Dennis 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.

Dennis surname: questions

What does the surname Dennis mean?

As an Irish surname it has two sources in Woulfe: Mac Donnchadha, 'son of Donnchadh' (brown warrior, or strong warrior), and Ó Donnghusa, 'descendant of Donnghus' (brown-choice).[1][2]

Is Dennis an Irish surname?

Yes, among others. Woulfe lists Dennis (and M'Denis) among many anglicised forms of Mac Donnchadha, and separately lists Dennis, Denis, Denison, Dennison and Denson under Ó Donnghusa. He also notes that the personal name Donnchadh was itself 'anglicised Donough, Denis'.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Dennis name from?

Woulfe's Mac Donnchadha families were chiefs of Duhallow, Co. Cork (a branch of the MacCarthys), and of Tirerrill and Corran, Co. Sligo, with an offshoot later in Clare and Limerick (a branch of the MacDermotts). His Ó Donnghusa families were in Ulster and in Munster, 'chiefly in Cork and Waterford'. In 1890, Dennis births were principally in Dublin and Cork.[1][2][3]

Is Dennis connected to a Scottish clan?

Woulfe's Mac Donnchadha entry names, as the third of 'at least three distinct families' bearing that surname, 'a Scottish clan in Perthshire, said to be a branch of the MacDonalds'. But he says that family 'now anglicised their name Duncan, and some of them call themselves Robertson' — he does not say that branch used the Dennis spelling.[1]

Sources

  1. Mac Donnchadha, Mac Donnchaidh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macd/mac-donnchadha-mac-donnchaidh.php
  2. Ó Donnghusa — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/od/o-donnghusa.php
  3. Dennis — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/dennis.php

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