Show ContentsDe dion History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of De dion

What does the name De dion mean?

The region of ancient France known as Auvergne is where the name De dion was born. De dion was a name for someone who lived in Dienne in Auvergne, a medieval French province on the Massíf Central in the south central part of France. 1

Alternatively, the name could have come from Dionne, in Burgundy. 2

Early Origins of the De dion family

The surname De dion was first found in Auvergne, a historic province in south central France where this renowned family has held a family seat since ancient times.

By the 17th century, this family were well established in Auvergne and several members of the family were distinctive through their contributions to the community in which they lived and were rewarded with lands, titles and letters patent confirming their nobility. In the 19th century, this honoured family was represented by Count Louis-Edouard-Marie-Hippolyte de Dienne, who was the ancient Flag Lieutenant to Admiral Montaignan.

Antoine Dionne, born in 1641, married Catherine Yvory, born in 1644, in 1660. They settled together on a farm in Sainte-Famille, Quebec, where they had their twelve children. Most of their children eventually settled in Kamouraska and have many ancestors in Canada. 3

Early History of the De dion family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our De dion research. Another 146 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1679 and 1684 are included under the topic Early De dion History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

De dion Spelling Variations

History has changed the spelling of most surnames. During the early development of the French language in the Middle Ages, a person gave his version of his name, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Some variables were adopted by different branches of the family name. Hence, there spelling variations of the name De dion, some of which include Dionne, de Dion, Dion, Dienne, Dione, Diones, de Dionne, de Dienne, Deonne, Dienn, Diennes, Dienes, Dyone, Dyones, Deon, Deons, Deonns, Dyons, Dyon, Dyonne, Dyonnes and many more.

Early Notables of the De dion family

More information is included under the topic Early De dion Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the De dion family

Immigration to New France was slow; therefore, early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name De dion has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name De dion were John Dion who settled in Barbados 1654-1663; Lewis Dion who settled in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1867; Louis G. Dion who settled in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1867.



The De dion Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina
Motto Translation: Lord, my God, assist me now


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print


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