Show ContentsDaley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The spelling and overall form of Irish names often vary considerably. The original Gaelic form of the name Daley is Ó Dalaigh, from the word "dalach," which comes from "dail," which means "assembly." [1]

Early Origins of the Daley family

The surname Daley was first found in the barony of Magheradernon, in County Westmeath and traditionally claim descent from Eanna Ceannselach (Ian Kinsella), King of Leinster. They became Chiefs of Muintir Bhaire in the south west of Cork, and later in the north west of the same county, largely in O'Keefe's country. A distinct sept was found in Desmond as early as 1165.

"Cuconnachta-na-Scoil O'Daly (or "Cuconnachta of the Schools") was the first of this family that assumed the surname." [2]

Early History of the Daley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Daley research. Another 198 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1139, 1574, 1583, 1595, 1600, 1614, 1617, 1638, 1662, 1665, 1680, 1721, 1902, 1955 and 1976 are included under the topic Early Daley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Daley Spelling Variations

Names written in official documents were generally spelt as they sounded, leading to the problem of one name being recorded under several different variations, creating the illusion in records of more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname Daley that are preserved in documents of the family history are Daly, Daley, Daylie, Dayley, Dalley, Dailey, Daily, Dailley, Dally, O'Daily, O'Daley and many more.

Early Notables of the Daley family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

  • Richard Daley (1902-1976), the American politician and 48th Mayor of Chicago (1955-1976) was the progenitor of the Chicago family. His family can be traced back to Old Parish, a village near Dungarvan...

Daley World Ranking

In the United States, the name Daley is the 1,511st most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. [3] However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Daley is ranked the 641st most popular surname with an estimated 69 people with that name. [4] And in Australia, the name Daley is the 567th popular surname with an estimated 6,774 people with that name. [5]


United States Daley migration to the United States +

The English-ruled Ireland of the late 18th and 19th centuries featured a rapidly increasing population and an agricultural-based economy. This combination proved to be disastrous in the 1840s after a couple of failed potato harvests. Thousands died of disease and starvation, and thousands more left the country, often bound for North America. Those that survived the journey to North America were put to work building the bridges, canals, roadways, and railways needed for the development of an industrial society. Those Irish, although often despised by those already established in North American cities and towns, played an instrumental role in making Canada and the United States the powerful and wealthy nations that they are today. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has shown many immigrants bearing the name Daley:

Daley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • James and George Daley, who settled in Virginia in 1646 and 1655 respectively
  • George Daley, who landed in Virginia in 1655 [6]
  • Bryan Daley, who landed in Maryland in 1663 [6]
  • Owen Daley, who landed in Virginia in 1695 [6]
Daley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Chr Daley, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 [6]
  • Jesse Daley, who landed in Virginia in 1740 [6]
  • Jeremiah Daley, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1765 [6]
Daley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Daley, who arrived in America in 1801 [6]
  • Jane Daley, aged 6, who arrived in New York, NY in 1806 [6]
  • Pat Daley, aged 28, who arrived in New York, NY in 1806 [6]
  • Charles, Daniel, Dennis, Edward, Francis, Hugh, James, John, Joseph, Kerens, Michael, Patrick, Peter, Rose, Thomas and William Daley all, who settled in Philadelphia in the 19th century
  • V Daley, aged 24, who arrived in America in 1822 [6]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Daley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Daley Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Garret Daley, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Michael Daley, who landed in Quebec in 1784
Daley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Michael Daley, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1828
  • Anastasia Daley, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1831
  • Owen Daley, aged 45, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "John & Mary" from Belfast, Ireland
  • Patrick Daley, aged 10, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "John & Mary" from Belfast, Ireland
  • Jane Daley, aged 16, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Salus" in 1833
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Daley Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • John Daley, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907

Australia Daley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Daley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Patrick Daley, Irish convict who was convicted in Limerick, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Boyd" on 10th March 1809, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [7]
  • Mr. Timothy Daley, Irish convict who was convicted in Limerick, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Boyd" on 10th March 1809, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [7]
  • Mr. William Daley, (Hackett), English convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Canada" on 23rd April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [8]
  • Mr. James Daley, British Convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 11th August 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [9]
  • Mr. James Daley, English convict who was convicted in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Caledonia" in 19th June 1822, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [10]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Daley migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Daley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Daley (Daly), British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Harkaway" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 2nd June 1857 [11]
  • Mr. John Daley, Australian settler travelling from Melbourne, Victoria aboard the ship "Dunedin" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 12th March 1860 [11]
  • Mrs. Daley, Australian settler travelling from Melbourne, Victoria aboard the ship "Dunedin" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 12th March 1860 [11]
  • Miss Daley, Australian settler travelling from Melbourne, Victoria aboard the ship "Dunedin" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 12th March 1860 [11]
  • Miss Julia Daley, (b. 1843), aged 18, English domestic servant, from Gloucestershire travelling from London aboard the ship "Sebastopol" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th December 1861 [12]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Daley (post 1700) +

  • Richard Joseph Daley (1902-1976), American politician, 48th Mayor of Chicago (1955-1976)
  • Richard Michael Daley (b. 1942), American politician, 54th Mayor of Chicago (1989-2011)
  • Major-General Edmund Leo Daley (1883-1968), American Commanding General Puerto Rico Department (1939-1941) [13]
  • Clayton C. Daley Jr. (b. 1951), American former Vice Chair & Chief Financial Officer of The Procter & Gamble Company
  • Cass Daley (1915-1975), American radio and movie actress
  • Brian Daley (1947-1996), American science fiction novelist
  • George William Daley (1875-1952), American newspaper editor, sports writer
  • Cathy Daley (1955-2022), Canadian visual artist and educator located in Toronto, Ontario, her works can be seen in the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa; and The Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
  • Patrick Daley (b. 1844), Australian bushranger and criminal, member of Frank Gardiner-Ben Hall's gang; he served 15 years in prison
  • Anthony Mark "Tony" Daley (b. 1967), English former footballer from Birmingham
  • ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. George Joseph Daley, British Boy, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking [14]
RMS Lusitania
SS Caribou
  • Mr. G. A. Daley, British passenger who was Royal Air Force was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he survived the sinking


The Daley Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Deo fidelis et Regi
Motto Translation: Loyal to God and king


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  5. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  6. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Boyd
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
  11. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, January 10) Edmund Daley. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Daley/Edmund_Leo/USA.html
  14. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  15. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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