Home › Irish Surnames › Duane

Irish surname

Duane: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Dubháin · 'descendant of Dubhán' (a diminutive of dubh, black)

Woulfe (1923) lists Duane among the English forms of Ó Dubháin, 'descendant of Dubhán' (a diminutive of dubh, black), the name of several distinct families in Meath, South-west Cork, Connemara and Limerick. Matheson's 1890 birth index files the name under Dwane: 22 entries in Ireland including spelling varieties, 11 spelled Dwane and 6 spelled Duane.

Shop Duane crest giftsRead the history
Coat of arms associated with the Duane surname
Irish formÓ Dubháin
Meaning'descendant of Dubhán' (a diminutive of dubh, black)
CountiesMeath, Cork, Limerick, Galway
Other spellings9
Welcome offer $10 off orders of $20 or more with code WELCOME10 One use per customer. Cannot be combined with other offers.

Duane crest gifts

Clan Oduane Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapQB20 Classic Cap - Oduane Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Oduane Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Clan Duane Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapYE79 Classic Cap - Duane Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Duane Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Clan Duane Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap JA80 Duane Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Duane Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45Duane Irish coat of arms glass ornaments, heart and round, hanging on a Christmas treeDuane Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Glass Ornament$24.99Duane Irish coat of arms acrylic ornament hanging on a Christmas treeDuane Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Ornament$19.99O'Duane Irish coat of arms glass ornaments, heart and round, hanging on a Christmas treeO'Duane Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Glass Ornament$24.99O'Duane Irish coat of arms acrylic ornament hanging on a Christmas treeO'Duane Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Ornament$19.99

Origin of the Duane name

Woulfe: 'the name of several distinct families': (1) a Meath family, anciently lords of Cnodhbha (Knowth), dispersed through Leinster; (2) a family of Corca Laoighdhe in South-west Cork, sometimes calling themselves Kidney; (3) a Connemara family; (4) an old Limerick family, now sometimes Downes.[1]

  1. 952Four Masters: Dunlang Ua Dubhain was slain.[6]
  2. End of 16th centuryWoulfe: Ó Dubháin 'a common surname throughout the southern half of Ireland'.[1]
  3. 1780William John Duane, lawyer, born at Clonmel.[7]
  4. 1833W. J. Duane removed by Jackson as US Treasury Secretary.[7]
  5. 1890Matheson, filed under Dwane: 22 entries incl. spelling varieties (11 Dwane, 6 Duane).[3][4]

Where in Ireland

Co. MeathWoulfe: a Meath family, anciently lords of Cnodhbha, now anglicised Knowth, in the parish of Monkstown.[1]
Co. CorkWoulfe: a family of Corca Laoighdhe in South-west Cork. In 1890 'Dwane' was principally found in Tipperary, Cork and Kerry.[1][3]
Co. LimerickWoulfe: 'an old Limerick family who now sometimes anglicise the name Downes'.[1]
Co. GalwayIn 1890 the spelling 'Duane' was principally found in Galway.[3]
Co. TipperaryIn 1890 the spelling 'Dwane' was principally found in Tipperary, Cork and Kerry.[3]
Co. KerryIn 1890 the spelling 'Dwane' was principally found in Tipperary, Cork and Kerry.[3]

Notable people named Duane

William John Duane1780–1865Born at Clonmel; lawyer; removed by Jackson in 1833 as US Treasury Secretary over the Bank deposits (Webb).[7]

Other spellings

Dwane · Devane · Dewane · Divane · Dwan · Duan · Doane · Dooan · O Dwane[1][3][5]

The Duane coat of arms

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

Duane surname: questions

What does the surname Duane mean?

Woulfe gives Duane as one English form of Ó Dubháin, 'descendant of Dubhán', a diminutive of dubh, black.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Duane name from?

Woulfe names several distinct Ó Dubháin families: in Meath (anciently lords of Knowth), in South-west Cork, in Connemara and in Limerick. In 1890 'Dwane' births were principally found in Tipperary, Cork and Kerry, and 'Duane' births in Galway.[1][3]

Is Duane the same name as Devine?

Woulfe does not list Devine as a plain English form of Ó Dubháin: he prints (Devine, Devany) in brackets under it. He also says that Ó Duibhín, which he anglicises O'Devine and Devine, is synonymous with Ó Dubháin and is often used interchangeably with it, especially in Connacht.[1][2]

Are Duane and Dwane the same surname?

Woulfe lists both Dwane and Duane among the English forms of Ó Dubháin. Matheson's 1890 birth index files them together under Dwane: 22 entries including spelling varieties, 11 spelled Dwane and 6 spelled Duane.[1][3]

Sources

  1. Ó Dubháin – Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/od/o-dubhain.php
  2. Ó Duibhín – Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/od/o-duibhin.php
  3. Dwane – Birth Indexes of 1890 – Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/dwane.php
  4. Table Explanation – Birth Indexes of 1890 – Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/table-explanation.php
  5. Duane – Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/517.php
  6. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 952 (part 5) – CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text005.html
  7. Duane, William John – A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/JohnWilliamDuane.php

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