The Dunn Family

Our Family

The Dunn family traces its roots to Counties Tipperary, Cork and Sligo in southern Ireland, where William Dunn and his wife, Ann Hennesey, began the family line that would eventually extend across the United States. 

Like many Irish families of the 19th century, William and Ann made the courageous decision to leave their homeland and journey to America in search of opportunity, stability, and a better future for their children. Arriving in the United States and settling in the midwest during a time of great change and growth, the Dunn family became part of the wave of Irish immigrants who helped build communities, churches, and businesses throughout the country. 

Their journey required resilience, faith, and determination—qualities that became defining traits passed down through generations of the family. Over the decades, the descendants of William Dunn and Ann Hennesey have spread across the nation, carrying with them a shared heritage rooted in Irish tradition, strong family bonds, and a spirit of perseverance. 

While each generation has written its own chapter, the legacy of those early immigrants from Tipperary, Cork and Sligo remains a central part of the family’s identity. Today, this website serves as a place to celebrate that legacy—preserving family stories, photographs, and historical records so that future generations can remember where they came from and remain connected to the enduring story of the Dunn family.

Our Name

Motto: “MULLACH ABU”
Translation: “Onward to victory”

The surname, Dunn, comes from the Gaelic word “donn” which means “brown”. Its Gaelic form O’Duinn, the descendant of Donn, is most commonly anglicized as Dunn, but is also written as Dunne.

The Dunn family is of the same Celtic stock as the O’Connors and O’Dempseys, clans who trace their descent from Rossa Failgeach, eldest son of Cathaoir Mor, King of Ireland in the second century.

The Dunn sept stems from Riagan, tenth in lineal descent from Failgeach. The district ruled over by Riagan, located in County Leix, became the ancestral home of the Dunns. In later times their chieftains were known as Lords of Iregan.
Irish bards praise the martial prowess and commanding stature of the Dunn warriors. They were undoubtedly conspicuous in history for their doughty resistance to the encroachments of Anglo-Norman invaders who held lands in the Pale bordering their territory.

The Dunns were in the forefront of every battle for Irish nationalism. They suffered heavily in the bitter and prolonged struggle against Cromwell. In the next generation they espoused the Stuart cause, and the head of the family was killed in the battle of Aughrim. With the fall of the Stuarts, the lands of the Dunns were confiscated, and their fighting men who survived followed Sarsfield and the “Wild Geese” to fight in the ranks of the Irish Brigade in France. Many of them served with distinction in the regiments of O’Donnell, Lord Clare and Walsh up to the days of the French Revolution.
The name Dunn is 27th in the list of commonest surnames in Ireland. It is widespread in the United States also. Representatives of the family have achieved prominence in the literary, political and religious life of our country.