| ![Show Contents]() O'Devlin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
Ireland
Etymology of O'DevlinWhat does the name O'Devlin mean? Irish surnames are linked to the long Gaelic heritage of the Island nation. The original Gaelic form of the name O'Devlin is Ó Doibhilin. 1 Early Origins of the O'Devlin familyThe surname O'Devlin was first found in the barony of Corran, County Sligo (Irish: Sligeach), in the province of Connacht in Northwestern Ireland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. Early History of the O'Devlin familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Devlin research. Another 151 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1211, 1316, 1641, 1735, 1778, 1825 and 1851 are included under the topic Early O'Devlin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. O'Devlin Spelling VariationsThe scribes who created documents long before either the Gaelic or English language resembled their standardized versions of today recorded words as they sounded. Consequently, in the Middle Ages the names of many people were recorded under different spellings each time they were written down. Research on the O'Devlin family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Devlin, O'Devlin, Develin, Devolin, Devoline, Defflin, Devline, Davlin and many more. Early Notables of the O'Devlin familyNotable amongst the family name at this time was - Francis O'Devlin (d. 1735), Franciscan friar of Prague
Migration of the O'Devlin familySuffering from poverty and racial discrimination, thousands of Irish families left the island in the 19th century for North America aboard cramped passenger ships. The early migrants became settlers of small tracts of land, and those that came later were often employed in the new cities or transitional work camps. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Although the immigrants from this period were often maligned when they arrived in the United States, they provided the cheap labor that was necessary for the development of that country as an industrial power. Early immigration and passenger lists have revealed many immigrants bearing the name O'Devlin: Arthur, Barnet, Bernard, Daniel, Edward, James, John, Thomas, Michael, Patrick, Joseph, Henry, Felix Devlin all settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1830 and 1880.
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: Crux mea stella
Motto Translation: The cross, my star
- MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
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