Contents [hide]

Dea History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Dea History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Dea surname seems to have come from a few sources: it was an occupational name for a dairy maid in some parts of England and Scotland; it was a derivation from David; and in some cases the name came from the word eye (d'eye). The same source claims that name was could have been an occupational name as in 'the deye' or 'day,' a maid, a dairy-maid. 1 Over in Normandy pre-Conquest times, we found "St. John de Day, near St. Lo, in the Cotentin [Peninsula.] " 2 This peninsula is now known as Cherbourg Peninsula.

Early Origins of the Dea family

The surname Dea was first found in Somerset where one of the first records of the name was Leofgife oa Dagean c. 1055. Godiua Daia was listed c. 1095 in Suffolk and Aluric Dai was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Buckinghamshire in 1196. A few years later, Ralph Deie was among those listed in the Register of the Freemen of Leicester in 1211. 3

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list the following: Willelmus Dey; Ricardus Dey; and Thomas le Dey. 1

Early History of the Dea family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dea research. Another 53 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1269, 1277, 1379, 1501, 1522, 1529, 1537, 1538, 1549, 1552, 1553, 1556, 1574, 1582, 1584, 1596, 1605, 1607, 1610, 1638, 1639, 1649, 1668, 1673, 1683, 1767 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Dea History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dea Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Day, Dea, Dey, Daye, Deie and others.

Early Notables of the Dea family

Notables of this surname at this time include: William Day (1529-1596), an English clergyman, Provost of Eton College, Bishop of Winchester; George Day (ca.1501-1556), Bishop of Chichester, Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University (1537-1538); John Day (1574-1638?), an English dramatist from Norfolk; and Francis Day (1605-1673), an English colonial administrator, associated with the East India Company. John Day (Daye) (c. 1522-1584), was an English Protestant printer. He was "one of the earliest of English musical typographers, began printing about 1549 in Holborn, a little above the Conduit. He afterwards dwelt 'over Aldersgate beneath Saint Martyns,' and subsequently had a shop in St. Paul's Churchyard...
Another 146 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dea Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dea family to Ireland

Some of the Dea family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dea migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dea Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Margaret Dea, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 4
Samuel Dea, who arrived in New York in 1784 4

Dea Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

A Dea, aged 30, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1836 4
Michael Dea, who landed in Tippecanoe County, Ind in 1848 4
Ellen Dea, aged 35, who landed in New York in 1864 4

Dea migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dea Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. John Dea, aged 40 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Bee" departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in June 1847 5
Mrs. Mary Dea, aged 62 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Elizabeth" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 5

Dea migration to Australia +

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

Dea Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Bridget Dea, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburghe" in 1838 6
Mr. Daniel Dea, (Day), (b. 1796), aged 48, Irish farm labourer who was convicted in Limerick, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 9th April 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1873 7
Miss Mary Dea, (Day, Bishop), (b. 1826), aged 25, Irish country servant who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Blackfriar" on 24th January 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8

Dea 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:

Dea Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William Dea, (b. 1847), aged 27, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Dorette" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 14th April 1874 9
Mrs. Jemima Dea, (b. 1845), aged 29, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Dorette" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 14th April 1874 9
Miss Amy Dea, (b. 1867), aged 7, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Dorette" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 14th April 1874 9
Mr. Frederick Dea, (b. 1869), aged 5, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Dorette" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 14th April 1874 9
Mr. Frank Dea, (b. 1871), aged 3, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Dorette" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 14th April 1874 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dea (post 1700) +

William Fraser "Billy" Dea (b. 1933), Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and head coach in the National Hockey League, nicknamed "Hard Rock"
Matt Dea, Australian rules footballer
Dea Birkett (b. 1958), British writer

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 23)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The DUKE OF ROXBURGE. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838DukeOfRoxburghe.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cadet/
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blackfriar
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html