Donner Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Donner last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Donner coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Donner last name
Meaning of the Donner last name: a nickname or name connected with thunder. Donner comes from German Donner, thunder, possibly a nickname for a loud or quick-tempered person, or from a house sign. Smith connects it with the old god of thunder. The last name is found throughout Germany and Austria, with several unrelated surname origins.
Arms associated with the Donner name
Sharing a surname establishes no coat of arms entitlement; heraldry follows documented individual lineages.
Get your full Donner family history
This is only a glimpse of the Donner story. The full Donner 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 Donner coat of arms. Get the full Donner report.
Donner name FAQ
What does the Donner name mean?
A nickname or name connected with thunder.
Where does the Donner surname come from?
It originates in Germany, and is also found in the United States and France.
Is there a Donner coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Donner coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Elsdon C. Smith, Dictionary of American Family Names (1956), individual surname entries; modern indexed dictionary entries supersede conflicting interpretations.; Forebears, Surnam.es and individual surname distribution references.