Irish Surnames D
Posted in: Irish Surnames
A list of Irish surnames beginning with the letter D
| Name | Variants | In Irish | Location | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daly | Dawley O’Daly Daley | Ó Dálaigh | Widespread | Gaelic |
| Very old name; means “present at assemblies” and has the same origin as “Dail”, which is the name for the Irish Parliament. | ||||
| Dardis | Dublin, Kildare, Meath | Norman | ||
| From the Norman d’Ardis | ||||
| Delany | Delane, Delaney | Ó Dubhshlaine | Widespread, Dublin, Laois | Gaelic |
| Means “of the black river Slaney”. | ||||
| Dempsey | Ó Diomasaigh | Laois, Offaly | Gaelic | |
| Means “proud”. | ||||
| Devine | Davin, Devane, Devin, Downes | Ó Daimhin | Cavan, Dublin, Louth, Tyrone | Gaelic |
| Means “poet or storyteller”. | ||||
| Devlin | Ó Doibhlin | Sligo, Tyrone | Gaelic | |
| Dillon | Widespread | Norman-French | ||
| Derived from “de Leon” | ||||
| Doherty | Dougharty, Dougherty, MacDevitt, O’Dogherty. | Ó Dochartaigh | Ulster | Gaelic |
| Means “obstructive”. | ||||
| Dolan | Doolan, Dowling, Doelan, O’Doelan. | Ó Dobhailen | Galway, Roscommon | Gaelic |
| Means “defiant”. | ||||
| Donoghue | Donohue, Donohoe, O’Donoghue, O’Donagh, Donaghue, Dunphy | Ó Donnchadha | Widespread | Gaelic |
| Means “Sons of Donogh”. | ||||
| Doran | Ó Deoradháin | Armagh, Down, Kerry, Laois, Wexford | Gaelic | |
| Means “stranger”. | ||||
| Dowling | Ó Dunlaing | Carlow, Dublin, Kilkenny, Laois, Wicklow | Gaelic | |
| Doyle | Doyelle, Doyley, MacDowell | Ó Dubhghaill | Widespread, Wexford. | Irish name for Norse invaders |
| Means “dark or evil foreigner” | ||||
| Driscoll | O’Driscoll | Ó hEidersceoil, | Cork | |
| Means ” interpreter”. | ||||
| Duffy | Doohey, Dowey, Duhig, O’Duffy | Ó Dubthaigh | Ulster, Monaghan Roscommon | Gaelic |
| Duggan | Doogan, Dougan | Cork, Donegal, Galway, Tipperary. | Gaelic | |
| Means “black head (hair?)” | ||||
| Dunne | O’Dunne, O’Doyne, Doine, Doin, O’Dunn and many more. | Ó Duinn | Widespread, Laois | Gaelic |
| Means “brown”. | ||||
What can you tell me about Dunnings from Westmeath (Athlone) and Connacht (Roscommon)?
I have met some in Eire, and was told they derive from O’Duinin clan, but necessarily anglicized their name in order to maintain residence within the city or town limits of an English bailiwick during the time of the Penal Laws.
I suspect my Dunning ancestor is most likely English, but through progressive intermarriage we are now more Irish than anything else (on BOTH sides), including so-called ‘Black Irish’ from Antrim, Spanish / Portuguese ancestry verified by DNA (!).
James (Seamus) Dunning
my grandmother was irish. her last name was Dorris. I’ve been told i take after the Dorris side of the family. i was wondering what part of irland her family came from.
I’ve never come across that name, but I’ll ask about it and see what I come up with.