The Clan/Sept History

Dunne is a very numerous name and comes from the Gaelic "Donn" meaning 'brown'. The name was used to describe somebody of swarthy complexion or dark hair. The Ó Duinn were lords in the north of county Laois in the Irish midlands, and were known as Lords of Iregan up to the seventeenth century. Today, the Dunne name is the 27th most popular name in Ireland, and is strongest in the eastern province of Leinster. In the north the usual spelling of the name is Dunn.