O'Downe

Recorded in many forms including O'Doyane, O'Duane, O'Downe, Dwane, Dwine, Doane, Dewin, and possibly others, this is an Irish surname. It derives from either of the pre 10th century Gaelic personal names Damhain meaning "fawn"; or Dubhain from "dubh", meaning black. The former source also gives rise to the surnames O'Daimhin, Devin and Davin, said to be a County Tipperary form. As Dwane and Dwine, these spellings are found mainly in the province of Munster, whilst as Downes and Duane they are chiefly associated with Connacht. As Devine the surname is chiefly found today in counties Tyrone and Fermanagh, where up to the 15th century the chief of this sept was the lord of Tirkennedy in County Fermanagh. Examples of recordings taken from early Irish surviving church registers include the christening of Elizabeth, the daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Dowin, on October 11th 1724, at St. Peter and St. Kevin, Dublin; the marriage of Elizabeth Dwane and Robert Leone on January 20th 1846, at Caher, County Tipperary; and the christening of John Dewane on June 24th 1864, at Mallow, County Cork. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Teag O'Devine which was dated 1066, in the "Annals of the Four Masters". This was during the reign of Donough O'Brian, the High King of Ireland, 1058 - 1072. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.