Donat History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Early Origins of the Donat family

The surname Donat was first found in Silesia, where the name contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation which would later play a large role in the tribal and national conflicts of the area. In later years the name branched into many houses, each playing a significant role in the local social and political affairs. The name originates from the Bishop Donatus, who was martyred around 350 A.D., and became prominent in the Middle Ages through the widely used Latin grammar textbook written by Aelius Donatus in the 4th century.

Early History of the Donat family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Donat research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1769 is included under the topic Early Donat History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Donat Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Donat, Donath, Donati, Donats, Donaths, Donatt and many more.

Early Notables of the Donat family

Notables of the period with the surname Donat were

the Austrian Tobias von Donath, who served as the Chief Lieutenant of the Loewenstein Lighthorsemen during the late 18th century and was awarded the title von Ehrenfeld for his outstanding bravery

Donat Ranking

In France, the name Donat is the 7,358^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 1

Donat migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Donat Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hermann Donat, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1763 2
Jacob Donat, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 2

Donat Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Carl Donat, who landed in Galveston, Tex in 1851 2
Wilhelmine Donat, who arrived in America in 1854 2
Kath Schmidt Donat, who landed in America in 1855 2
Hermann Otto Hans Zu Donat, aged 19, who landed in New York, NY in 1874 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Donat (post 1700) +

Friedrich Robert Donat (1905-1958), better known by his stage name Robert Donat, a distinguished Academy Award-winning English film and stage actor
Donat Spiteri (1922-2011), Maltese religious leader and author
Donat R. Baribault (1885-1970), American New England architect who designed a number of Catholic churches, schools, convents and rectories in Western Massachusetts and New Hampshire
Donat Acklin (b. 1965), Swiss three-time gold medalist bobsledder
Donat Leclair (b. 1952), former chief financial officer and executive vice president of Ford Motor Company

Sources +

http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)