O'Donohue

Ⅰ.

Recorded as O' Donoghue, O' Donohoe, O' Donohue, and short forms such as Donaho, Donohoe, Donohue, and others, this is an ancient Irish surname. It is a developed form of the Gaelic O' Donnchadha, a personal name composed of the elements "donn", meaning dark or brown, and "cath", a battle! The first element was given to someone with dark hair or a dark complexion who was presumably a famous warrior, one who 'battled'. This surname is one of the most important as well as the most numerous names in Ireland, and several distinct septs of the name existed in early times. The principal septs were O' Donoghue of Desmond, O' Donoghue of Ui Maine and O' Donoghue of County Cavan. The O' Donoghues of Cavan usually spell their name Donohoe and are plentiful in Counties Galway and Cavan, while the other two septs are mostly in Counties Kerry and Cork. In Spain the name became O' Donoju and one Juan O' Donoju (1751 - 1821) was the last Spanish ruler of Mexico. Among the recordings in London is the marriage of James O' Donohoe and Maria Manson on May 9th 1841 at St. Pancras, Old Church. One Denis O' Donohoe married Johanna Callahan on February 27th 1859 at Rathmore with Nohoval and Kilcummin, County Kerry, Ireland. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of O' Donnchadha of Jerpoint, which was dated circa 1150, Ancient Annals of Kilkenny, during the reign of Turlough Mor O' Connor, High King of Ireland, 1199 - 1156. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Ⅱ.

Recorded in several spellings as shown below, this one of the most important and numerous of Irish surname. It derives form the Gaelic compound "Donncath" with donn meaning brown and chadha a warrior or fighter. As to who this "brown fighter" was has not been proven, but he may have been a monk or at least a holy man, and "warrior" may possibly have had a transfered meaning of one who fought (for instance) paganism. The original Gaelic spelling as O' Donnchadha is now found under various forms such as O' Donoghue, O' Donohue, Donohue, Donaghy and Donahue. The O' Donoghues constitute an important sept in Kerry and associated parts of County Cork in the ancient area known as Desmond, where they disputed the area with the MacCarthys. Ultimately they were driven into Kerry where their chief territory was known as Onaght O' Donoghue. The Onaght O' Donoghues split into two septs, known as O' Donoghue Mor with its seat at Ross Castle near Killarney and O' Donoghue of the Glen entitled to the name "The O' Donoghue". Geoffrey O' Donoghue of the Glen a leading poet of the 17th Century died in 1678. Among the early recordings in London is the christening of Elizabeth Donoghue on February 1779 at St. Botolphs-without- Aldgate. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Teag O' Donnchadha of Jerpoint. This was dated 1150, in the "Ancient Annah of Kilkenny", during the reign of Turlough Mor O'Connor, High King of Ireland, 1119 - 1156. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.