Show ContentsDealy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Dealy name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in various counties throughout ancient Britain, as the name literally means "at the dale," or "of the dole," (a division of land.) [1]

"The medieval form was At Dale, softened afterwards to A'Dale, as often found in parish registers of the XVI. cent., and widely renowned through the ballad of Robin Hood and Allin a'Dale." [2]

Deal is "a sea-port, market-town, and parish, and a member of the town and port of Sandwich, in the union of Eastry, hundred of Cornilo, lathe of St. Augustine, E. division of Kent. The origin of this place is involved in obscurity: it has been considered as the spot where Cæsar first landed when he invaded Britain; but this hypothesis is very doubtful. Leland gives the town the name of Dela, and Nennius says that "Cæsar battled at Dola," which Camden supposes to mean Deal; there are no records, however, of any town existing here till several centuries after the Romans had quitted Britain." [3]

Early Origins of the Dealy family

The surname Dealy was first found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273-1275 where Roger de le Dele and John Dele were listed in Norfolk, [4] Ralph de la Dale and Thomas de la Dale were registered in Suffolk and William dela Dole was registered in Cambridgeshire. [1]

The Assize Rolls for Kent recorded John de Dele in 1317 and Hubert de Dele was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327. [4]

Back in Norfolk, we found Thomas atte Dela, de Fodeston, rector of Foston, Norfolk in 1361 and John atte Dele, vicar of Wigenhale, Norfolk in 1374. [5]

In Yorkshire, we found Thomas del Dale; Robertus del Dale; Willelmus at Dale; and Johannes at Dale as all holding lands there at the time according to the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. The Lay Subsidy Rolls for Lancashire include a listing for Richard del Dale in 1332. [1]

In Scotland, early records there show "Johannes de Dale was charter witness at Yester, 1374, Syme of Daile and Jok of Dail of the Newtoun occur in Ayrshire, 1470, and John Daill [was found] in Fouldaine, 1653." [6]

Early History of the Dealy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dealy research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1545, 1567, 1602 and 1671 are included under the topic Early Dealy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dealy Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Dealy has undergone many spelling variations, including Deal, Deale, Dealey, Dealy, Deel and others.

Early Notables of the Dealy family

More information is included under the topic Early Dealy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Dealy migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Dealy were among those contributors:

Dealy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Peter Dealy, who arrived in America in 1810 [7]

Australia Dealy migration to Australia +

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

Dealy Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Margaret Dealy, aged 20, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Oriental,"
  • Frances Dealy (aged 16), a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Eliza"

New Zealand Dealy 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:

Dealy Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Daniel Dealy, (b. 1850), aged 25, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Helen Denny" arriving in Hawkes Bay, Napier, North Island, New Zealand on 20th September 1875 [8]
  • Miss Catherine Dealy, (b. 1852), aged 23, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Helen Denny" arriving in Hawkes Bay, Napier, North Island, New Zealand on 20th September 1875 [8]

Contemporary Notables of the name Dealy (post 1700) +

  • Jack Dealy (b. 1965), American professional football player
  • Patrick E. Dealy (1861-1924), American Major League Baseball player
  • Linda Dealy (b. 1954), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 2004 [9]
  • Leon J. Dealy, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for U.S. Representative from Wisconsin 5th District, 1956 [9]
  • Jacob H. Dealy, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Amsterdam, New York, 1906-09, 1912-13 [9]
  • Bobbie Dealy (b. 1975), English professional footballer
  • Jane Mary Dealy (1856-1939), English artist of the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
  6. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  7. 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)
  8. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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