Untitled Document

DORAN COAT OF ARMS
A coat of arms consists of three parts:
Blazon (image on the shield). Crest (image above the shield). Motto (image under the shield).

The original Gaelic form of the name Doran is O Deoradhain, which was later shortened to Ó Deoráin. Both names are probably derived from the words deoradh and deoraí meaning wanderer, exile and by extension, a pilgrim. Spelling variations of this family name include: Doran, Dorran, O'Doran, O'Deorain, Dorain, Doron and others. First found in County Leix, where they held a family seat from ancient times. The Doran surname is very numerous in the Midlands, Ulster, and Dublin. Ir. Ó Deoráin, deoraí, wanderer, exile and by extension, a pilgrim. The Dorans were a noted brehon family of Laois and one of the "Seven Septs" there. The Dorans also have a grouping in County Down.

DORAN COAT OF ARMS

A coat of arms consists of three parts:

Blazon (image on the shield). Crest (image above the shield). Motto (image under the shield).

Doran Shield

The original Gaelic form of the name Doran is O Deoradhain, which was later shortened to Ó Deoráin. Both names are probably derived from the words deoradh and deoraí meaning wanderer, exile and by extension, a pilgrim.

Spelling variations of this family name include: Doran, Dorran, O'Doran, O'Deorain, Dorain, Doron and others.

First found in County Leix, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

The Doran surname is very numerous in the Midlands, Ulster, and Dublin. Ir. Ó Deoráin, deoraí, wanderer, exile and by extension, a pilgrim. The Dorans were a noted brehon family of Laois and one of the "Seven Septs" there. The Dorans also have a grouping in County Down.

DORAN MOTTO
The Latin version is "Spes Anchora Vitae" meaning "Hope is the anchor of life".

DORAN MOTTO

The Latin version is "Spes Anchora Vitae" meaning "Hope is the anchor of life".

THE MEANING OF DORAN
Doran is in Irish Ó Deorain, a contracted form of Ó Deoradhain, from deoradh, meaning "exile" or "pilgrim". The surname has also been anglicized as "Dorrian", principally in the northern counties of Armagh and Down, where a branch was established in early times. The major fame of the family, however, was in Leinster, where for centuries they were hereditary judges and lawyers ("brehons") to the rulers of the ancient territory of Uí Cinnsealaigh, the MacMurroughs. This territory took in all of the present Co. Wexford, as well as adjoining parts of south Wicklow and Carlow, and the Dorans are still most numerous in this area today, with the placename "Doransland" in Wexford providing evidence of their long association with the area.

THE MEANING OF DORAN

Doran is in Irish Ó Deorain, a contracted form of Ó Deoradhain, from deoradh, meaning "exile" or "pilgrim". The surname has also been anglicized as "Dorrian", principally in the northern counties of Armagh and Down, where a branch was established in early times. The major fame of the family, however, was in Leinster, where for centuries they were hereditary judges and lawyers ("brehons") to the rulers of the ancient territory of Uí Cinnsealaigh, the MacMurroughs. This territory took in all of the present Co. Wexford, as well as adjoining parts of south Wicklow and Carlow, and the Dorans are still most numerous in this area today, with the placename "Doransland" in Wexford providing evidence of their long association with the area.

DORAN HISTORY AND GENEALOGY
The Family History of the Dorans can be found here: Hilary Murphy, “Families of County Wexford”, Geography Publications, Dublin 1986, National Library of Ireland, Ir 9292 m 60. Here is a short Doran Family History and Genealogy: Clans and Chieftains (in Ireland) The use of the word 'The' as a prefix to a surname to indicate that the user is the head or chief of a sept comprising the bearers of that name is a comparatively modern practice, but the existence of the chieftainries so denoted makes an examination of its historical background essential. To understand this one must glance back to the early mediaeval period when Ireland was administered by one legal system viz. the Brehon Code, Brehon being a word formed from the Irish "breitheamhan", the genitive of "breitheamh", meaning lawgiver or judge. That profession was of great importance and was usually the prerogative of certain families such as the MacClancys for the O'Brien dynasty and the well-known O'Dorans of Leinster. Source: http://homepage.tinet.ie/~donnaweb/info.html Milesian Genealogies from the Annals of the Four Masters by Pat Traynor HEREMON; IR; HEBER; The three sons of MILESIUS. HEREMON was the seventh son, but the third of these three that left issue. Five werekilled in landing upon the treacherous coast, including IR. AMERGIN, who was a Druid, was one of the three brothers who survived. HEREMON and his eldest brother HEBER were jointly, the first Milesian monarchs of Ireland. They began to reign in 1699 B.C., the first of one hundred eighty three Kings or sole Monarchs of the Gaelic, Milesian, or Scottish race that governed Ireland, successively, for two thousand eight hundred and eighty five years from the first year of their reign, to the submission to the Crown of England; King Henry the II; who was also of the Milesian race by his mother Maude, of lineal decent from Fergus Mor MacEarca, first King of Scotland, a descendant of HEREMON. HEBER was slain by HEREMON in a quarrel, caused by their wives. AMERGIN was also slain by HEREMON over an argument over territory. Line of Heber Heber is the line from which Brian Boru comes, as do: Brady, Brennan, Carroll, Casey, Clancy, Coghlan, Connell, Cullen, Doran, Hagerty, Hickey, Hogan, Kearny, Kelleher, Kennedy, Lynch, Lyons, Lysaght, McCarthy, MacGrath, MacMahon, Macnamara, Moroney, Moloney, O'Brien (10 different pedigrees), O'Callaghan, Collins, O'Connor, O'Corcoran, Daly, Donoghue, Donovan, Flanagan, O'Gara, O'Grady, O'Hara, O'Keeffe, Liddy, Mahony, Meagher, O'Meara, O'Neill, O'Sullivan, Plunkett, Power (o'Poir), Quin, Quaile, Ring, Shannon, Slattery, Stewart, Tracey - to name a few. Source: http://www.rootsweb.com/~fianna/history/milesian.html
Variants of the Surname DORAN or O'DORAN Doran, Dorrian, O'Doran, O'Dorrian, O'Deohadrain, O'Dorrianuns, O Deorain, Dorrain, Dorreen, Dorien, Dorrien, Dorien, Dooyarma, Deoradrain, Dorin, and Deorain. Sources, Various The Septs of Inishowen & Donegal - Post-1200 A.D. Tirehewe Barony, Dromehoonagh Parish - O'Dorrianuns; O'Doran - O Deorain Source: Raphoe Reconciliation project - a library and archive in Raphoe town in Co. Donegal The Seven Septs of Leix After the arrival of the Anglo-Normans, the Leix (Laois) County was divided among seven Septs or Clans: O'Moore, O'Kelly, O'Deevy, O'Doran, O'Lalor, O'Dowling and McEvoy. This confederation began after the 3rd century CE, when the family group that would become the O'Mores came from Ulster to Leinster under the leadership of Laoighseach Cean More, son of Connall Cearnach of the Red Branch, and helped to defend Leinster under the kingship of Cuchorb, and expelled the Munster forces from the region. They continued to hold principality over what became Leix (Laois), so named after Laoighseach, and this confederation continued through the Elizabethian wars of the 1500's, when the military and political power of the families were broken and the clans dispossessed and relocated. Of these seven clans, the O'Mores were the leading family, holding the position and title of Kings, and then Princes of Leix, as well as the Marshell's and treasurers of Leinster since the 3rd century: Source: http://members.aol.com/Septsleix/septs.html Ui Laoighis In ancient times the O'Moore tribe-name of Ui Laoighis was applied to their territory, this name being derived from a famous Ulster ancestor named Lughaidh Laoigheseach, descendant of the renowned Conall Cearnach, Chief of the Red Branch Knights of Ulster. The territory consisted of the present Baronies of East and West Maryborough, Stradbally and Cullenagh, to which in after years were annexed the Baronies of Ballyadams and Slievemargy. After the arrival of the Anglo-Normas, the territory of the County of Laois divided among seven Septs or Clans: O'Moore, O'Kelly, O'Deevy, O'Doran , O'Lalor, O'Dowling and McEvoy." Source: http://www.laois.ie/live.html Families in Ireland from the 11th to the End of the 16th Century According to 'A Topographical and Historical Map of Ancient Ireland,' compiled by Philip MacDermott, M.D., the following were the names of the principal families in Ireland, of Irish, Anglo-Norman, and Anglo-Irish origin. O'DORAN, (BREHON),Wexford O'DORAN, Chief,Carlow O'DORIN,Donegal O'DORRIAN" Gaelic Surnames Etymology and Spelling The following (mostly Irish) Gaelic names and anglicized equivalents are from the book "A Gaelic Lexicon of Finnegans Wake" by Brendan O Hehir, and were originally posted to Celtic-L in March 1997. To these I've added some Scots Gaelic names from Calder's Gaelic Grammar and from various clan history books. These are in no particular order, so if you need to look up a name just run a text search. Accents have been deleted for convenience's sake, sorry. In cases where "O" or "Mac" is part of the name, "grandson of" and "son of", respectively, should be understood under the name's "meaning", even if it is not given there. Some Gaelic names have more than one English equivalent, and some English names have more than one Gaelic equivalent; this is natural and due to ambiguity of translation. Gaelic English Meaning O Deorain Doran "exile" Source: An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language Eoghanacht Genealogies Book of Munster Written in 1703 Rev. Eugene O'Keeffe Parish priest and Poet of Doneraile, North Cork (Excerpt for surname O'Doran) O'Doran (O Derrain) Genealogy of O'DeorainMuircheartach boy, son of William, son of Sean, son of William dearg, son of Domhnall, son of Sarrbhresthach, son of Maolfhinnen, son of Conchubhar, son of Niall, son of Gillapatrick, son of Cathal, son of Buadhach, son of Cathal, son of Aodh, son of Buadhach Ath Cro, son of Lorcan, son of Suilleabhan (ancestor of the O'Sullivans). Source: McFirbises Book of Genealogies

DORAN HISTORY AND GENEALOGY

The Family History of the Dorans can be found here:

Hilary Murphy, “Families of County Wexford”, Geography Publications, Dublin 1986, National Library of Ireland, Ir 9292 m 60.

Here is a short Doran Family History and Genealogy:

Clans and Chieftains (in Ireland)

The use of the word 'The' as a prefix to a surname to indicate that the user is the head or chief of a sept comprising the bearers of that name is a comparatively modern practice, but the existence of the chieftainries so denoted makes an examination of its historical background essential. To understand this one must glance back to the early mediaeval period when Ireland was administered by one legal system viz. the Brehon Code, Brehon being a word formed from the Irish "breitheamhan", the genitive of "breitheamh", meaning lawgiver or judge. That profession was of great importance and was usually the prerogative of certain families such as the MacClancys for the O'Brien dynasty and the well-known O'Dorans of Leinster.

Source: http://homepage.tinet.ie/~donnaweb/info.html

Milesian Genealogies from the Annals of the Four Masters by Pat Traynor

HEREMON; IR; HEBER; The three sons of MILESIUS. HEREMON was the seventh son, but the third of these three that left issue. Five werekilled in landing upon the treacherous coast, including IR. AMERGIN, who was a Druid, was one of the three brothers who survived. HEREMON and his eldest brother HEBER were jointly, the first Milesian monarchs of Ireland. They began to reign in 1699 B.C., the first of one hundred eighty three Kings or sole Monarchs of the Gaelic, Milesian, or Scottish race that governed Ireland, successively, for two thousand eight hundred and eighty five years from the first year of their reign, to the submission to the Crown of England; King Henry the II; who was also of the Milesian race by his mother Maude, of lineal decent from Fergus Mor MacEarca, first King of Scotland, a descendant of HEREMON. HEBER was slain by HEREMON in a quarrel, caused by their wives. AMERGIN was also slain by HEREMON over an argument over territory.

Line of Heber

Heber is the line from which Brian Boru comes, as do: Brady, Brennan, Carroll, Casey, Clancy, Coghlan, Connell, Cullen, Doran, Hagerty, Hickey, Hogan, Kearny, Kelleher, Kennedy, Lynch, Lyons, Lysaght, McCarthy, MacGrath, MacMahon, Macnamara, Moroney, Moloney, O'Brien (10 different pedigrees), O'Callaghan, Collins, O'Connor, O'Corcoran, Daly, Donoghue, Donovan, Flanagan, O'Gara, O'Grady, O'Hara, O'Keeffe, Liddy, Mahony, Meagher, O'Meara, O'Neill, O'Sullivan, Plunkett, Power (o'Poir), Quin, Quaile, Ring, Shannon, Slattery, Stewart, Tracey - to name a few.

Source: http://www.rootsweb.com/~fianna/history/milesian.html

Variants of the Surname DORAN or O'DORAN

Doran, Dorrian, O'Doran, O'Dorrian, O'Deohadrain, O'Dorrianuns, O Deorain, Dorrain, Dorreen, Dorien, Dorrien, Dorien, Dooyarma, Deoradrain, Dorin, and Deorain. Sources, Various

The Septs of Inishowen & Donegal - Post-1200 A.D.

Tirehewe Barony, Dromehoonagh Parish - O'Dorrianuns; O'Doran - O Deorain

Source: Raphoe Reconciliation project - a library and archive in Raphoe town in Co. Donegal

The Seven Septs of Leix

After the arrival of the Anglo-Normans, the Leix (Laois) County was divided among seven Septs or Clans: O'Moore, O'Kelly, O'Deevy, O'Doran, O'Lalor, O'Dowling and McEvoy.

This confederation began after the 3rd century CE, when the family group that would become the O'Mores came from Ulster to Leinster under the leadership of Laoighseach Cean More, son of Connall Cearnach of the Red Branch, and helped to defend Leinster under the kingship of Cuchorb, and expelled the Munster forces from the region. They continued to hold principality over what became Leix (Laois), so named after Laoighseach, and this confederation continued through the Elizabethian wars of the 1500's, when the military and political power of the families were broken and the clans dispossessed and relocated. Of these seven clans, the O'Mores were the leading family, holding the position and title of Kings, and then Princes of Leix, as well as the Marshell's and treasurers of Leinster since the 3rd century:

Source: http://members.aol.com/Septsleix/septs.html

Ui Laoighis
In ancient times the O'Moore tribe-name of Ui Laoighis was applied to their territory, this name being derived from a famous Ulster ancestor named Lughaidh Laoigheseach, descendant of the renowned Conall Cearnach, Chief of the Red Branch Knights of Ulster. The territory consisted of the present Baronies of East and West Maryborough, Stradbally and Cullenagh, to which in after years were annexed the Baronies of Ballyadams and Slievemargy. After the arrival of the Anglo-Normas, the territory of the County of Laois divided among seven Septs or Clans: O'Moore, O'Kelly, O'Deevy, O'Doran , O'Lalor, O'Dowling and McEvoy."

Source: http://www.laois.ie/live.html

Families in Ireland from the 11th to the End of the 16th Century

According to 'A Topographical and Historical Map of Ancient Ireland,' compiled by Philip MacDermott, M.D., the following were the names of the principal families in Ireland, of Irish, Anglo-Norman, and Anglo-Irish origin.

O'DORAN, (BREHON),Wexford
O'DORAN, Chief,Carlow
O'DORIN,Donegal
O'DORRIAN"

Gaelic Surnames Etymology and Spelling

The following (mostly Irish) Gaelic names and anglicized equivalents are from the book "A Gaelic Lexicon of Finnegans Wake" by Brendan O Hehir, and were originally posted to Celtic-L in March 1997. To these I've added some Scots Gaelic names from Calder's Gaelic Grammar and from various clan history books. These are in no particular order, so if you need to look up a name just run a text search. Accents have been deleted for convenience's sake, sorry. In cases where "O" or "Mac" is part of the name, "grandson of" and "son of", respectively, should be understood under the name's "meaning", even if it is not given there. Some Gaelic names have more than one English equivalent, and some English names have more than one Gaelic equivalent; this is natural and due to ambiguity of translation.

Gaelic English Meaning
O Deorain Doran "exile"

Source: An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language

Eoghanacht Genealogies

Book of Munster
Written in 1703
Rev. Eugene O'Keeffe
Parish priest and Poet of
Doneraile, North Cork
(Excerpt for surname O'Doran)

O'Doran (O Derrain)

Genealogy of O'DeorainMuircheartach boy, son of William, son of Sean, son of William dearg, son of Domhnall, son of Sarrbhresthach, son of Maolfhinnen, son of Conchubhar, son of Niall, son of Gillapatrick, son of Cathal, son of Buadhach, son of Cathal, son of Aodh, son of Buadhach Ath Cro, son of Lorcan, son of Suilleabhan (ancestor of the O'Sullivans).

Source: McFirbises Book of Genealogies