Devine
An Irish surname usually linked to a Gaelic personal name meaning “poet,” though some families may have a different local origin.
The #1,506 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 12,986 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Devine is generally treated as an Anglicized Irish surname from Gaelic personal-name forms such as Ó Daimhín or related spellings recorded in older sources. The usual explanation connects the name with a diminutive of a Gaelic word meaning “poet” or with a personal name built on that root. Because the historical forms vary and 19th-century writers were not always consistent, some Devine families may have been grouped under slightly different Gaelic originals.
History
The name is found chiefly in Ireland, especially in Ulster and other parts of the north, and it was carried into English records under many spellings, including Devin, Davin, Devane, and Deven. Irish surname compilers such as Woulfe and Matheson list Devine among established Irish family names, showing that it was already well rooted by the late 19th century. In modern usage it is common enough in Ireland and the Irish diaspora, including the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older Irish surname lists, Devine often appears alongside a whole cluster of related spellings, which shows how fluid surname spelling could be before modern standardization.
From the historical record
“Irish M‘Daid ; Fr. Devis ; p.n. Davin. Irish Daimh (a poet). Or see Devine Davitt. Dch. Dawit, Davijt; p.n. Davy. Fr. Deve ; a p.n. Daw, Dawes. D. Daue; F. Dauewes,”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)