Show ContentsDalley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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

Early Origins of the Dalley family

The surname Dalley 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 Dalley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dalley 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 Dalley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dalley Spelling Variations

Scribes and church officials, lacking today's standardized spelling rules, recorded names by how they were pronounced. This imprecise guide often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Dalley are preserved in documents of the family history. The various spellings of the name that were found include Daly, Daley, Daylie, Dayley, Dalley, Dailey, Daily, Dailley, Dally, O'Daily, O'Daley and many more.

Early Notables of the Dalley family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Daniel O'Daly (1595-1662), Irish diplomat and historian. He was "a native of Kerry, born in 1595, was member of a branch of an Irish sept which took its name from an ancestor, Dalach, in the twelfth century. His family were among the adherents of the Earl of Desmond, who was attainted for having opposed the government of Queen Elizabeth in Ireland, and was killed there in 1583. " [3]Angus O'Daly (d. 1617), was the Irish...
Another 83 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dalley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dalley Ranking

In the United States, the name Dalley is the 14,940th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [4]


United States Dalley migration to the United States +

Ireland saw an enormous decrease in its population in the 19th century due to immigration and death. This pattern of immigration began slowly in the late 18th century and gradually grew throughout the early portion of the 19th century. However, a dramatic increase in the country's immigration numbers occurred when the Great Potato Famine struck in the 1840s. The early immigrants to North America were primarily destined to be farmers tending to their own plot of land, those that came later initially settled within pre-established urban centers. These urban immigrants provided the cheap labor that the fast developing United States and soon to be Canada required. Regardless of their new lifestyle in North America, the Irish immigrants to the United States and Canada made invaluable contributions to their newly adopted societies. An investigation of immigrant and passenger lists revealed many Dalleys:

Dalley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Bryan Dalley, who landed in Maryland in 1659 [5]
  • David Dalley, who landed in Maryland in 1665 [5]
  • Daniel Dalley, who arrived in Maryland in 1678 [5]
Dalley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Fra Dalley, who arrived in Virginia in 1706 [5]

Australia Dalley migration to Australia +

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

Dalley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Dalley, (b. 1813), aged 25, English convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 7 years for house breaking, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 24th March 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [6]
  • John Dalley, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "The Stebonheath" in 1850 [7]
  • Eliza Dalley, aged 28, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Epaminondas" [8]
  • John Dalley, aged 21, a copperminer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Marion" [9]
  • Bennett Dalley, aged 22, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Gilmore"

New Zealand Dalley 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:

Dalley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Kate M. Dalley, (b. 1861), aged 11 months, Cornish settler departing on 29th September 1862 aboard the ship "Mermaid" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 [10]
  • Mrs. Maria Ann Dalley, (b. 1839), aged 23, Cornish settler departing on 29th September 1862 aboard the ship "Mermaid" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 [10]
  • Miss Maria J. Dalley, (b. 1859), aged 3, Cornish settler departing on 29th September 1862 aboard the ship "Mermaid" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 [10]
  • Mrs. Mary J. Dalley (Evans), (b. 1837), aged 25, Cornish settler departing on 29th September 1862 aboard the ship "Mermaid" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 [10]
  • Mr. William H. Dalley, (b. 1837), aged 25, Cornish smith departing on 29th September 1862 aboard the ship "Mermaid" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 [10]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dalley (post 1700) +

  • Gifford Dalley, United States House of Representatives officer from 1789 to 1795
  • Amy Dalley, American country music artist
  • John Dalley (b. 1935), American violinist
  • Denver Collin Dalley, American singer-songwriter
  • Richard Dalley, American former competitive ice dancer, active from 1997 to 1984
  • Benjamin "Ben" Dalley (1916-2005), Australian water polo player who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics
  • John Bede Dalley (1876-1935), Australian journalist and novelist, editor of Melbourne Punch
  • Helen Dalley (b. 1957), Australian journalist, awarded the United Nations Media Peace Award in 1994
  • William Bede Dalley (1831-1888), Australian politician and barrister; the first Australian appointed to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
  • Derrick Dalley MHA (b. 1965), Canadian politician in Newfoundland and Labrador, Minister of Natural Resources of Newfoundland and Labrador (2013-)

HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. George Alexander Dalley, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking [11]


The Dalley 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. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. 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)
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
  7. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The STEBONHEATH 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Stebonheath.htm
  8. South Australian Register Monday 26th December 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Epaminondas 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/epaminondas1853.shtml
  9. South Australian Register 1857. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Marion 1857. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/marion1857.shtml
  10. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
  11. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html


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