There is a possibility that this name could be Irish and a form of O'Dolan, but our research suggests otherwise. we believe that it is French, and probably Huguenot protestant. We believe that it originated as "De Lyon" or "De Lion", and was locational from the famous city of Lyon, in Southern France. This area was also widely associated with the protestants, to the point that in 1685 King Louis X1V of France having failed over the past century to "convert" the Huguenots to catholicism, desided on more direct action. This today would be called "ethnic cleansing", and the results were equally shocking. Over a hundred thousand people were eventually driven out of France and about half of these came to Britain. There their names were recorded in a wide variety of "sounds like" spellings, some bearing only the remotest connection with the French originals. A number of these refugees, often those with special skills, were also encouraged by the British Goverment to settle in the New American colonies, and many did so. In this case examples of the name recording showing its possible development include Laurent Delion, christened at the town of Andard, Maine-et-Loire, France, on December 20th 1636, and in England a century or so later, John Dulen, the son of Andrew Dulen, christened at the church of St Botolphs without Aldgate, city of London, on April 23rd 1769.

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