Devlin Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Devlin last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Devlin last name
Meaning of the Devlin last name: descendant of Doibhilin. Devlin comes from the Gaelic Ó Doibhilin, from a personal name of uncertain meaning. The main family belonged to Tyrone, where they were loyal followers of the powerful O'Neills and lived near the western shore of Lough Neagh. A separate family lived in Sligo. A curious detail: Bernadette Devlin became one of the youngest people ever elected to the British Parliament, at just twenty-one.
Arms associated with the Devlin name
In Ireland, arms were often shown with a motto in Irish or Latin, and the Devlin name shares in that long, proud tradition.
Get your full Devlin family history
This is only a glimpse of the Devlin story. The full Devlin 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 Devlin coat of arms. Get the full Devlin report.
Devlin name FAQ
What does the Devlin name mean?
Descendant of Doibhilin. Common variants include Develin, O'Devlin, Devlen.
Where does the Devlin surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, Scotland and England.
Is there a Devlin coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Devlin coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.