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Donohue Surname Meaning & Origin

What the Donohue last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.

Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Donohue coat of arms for you.

Meaning and origin of the Donohue last name

Meaning of the Donohue last name: descendant of Donnchadh. Donohue is an Irish surname from Gaelic Ó Donnchadha, "descendant of Donnchadh", a personal name often explained as "brown warrior". The last name belongs to Munster and to several separate families. The anglicised spelling of this surname varies a great deal: Donohoe, Donoghue and Donahue all share the same root.

Arms associated with the Donohue name

Heraldry associated with the Donohue surname uses a few strong colours, and each coat of arms has its own blazon.

Get your full Donohue family history

This is only a glimpse of the Donohue story. The full Donohue history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Donohue coat of arms. Get the full Donohue report.

Donohue name FAQ

What does the Donohue name mean?

Descendant of Donnchadh. Common variants include Donoghue, Donahue, Donohoe.

Where does the Donohue surname come from?

It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, England and Australia.

Is there a Donohue coat of arms?

Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Donohue coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.

Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).