Show ContentsDellar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the Dellar name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived beside the water. The surname Dellar originally derived from the Old English word dell which referred to someone who inhabited an area close to a body of water or glade. [1]

Another source has a slightly different interpretation; having derived from the Saxon dialect "a dweller by the water," or "dell" a glade. [2]

"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." [3]

Early Origins of the Dellar family

The surname Dellar was first found in Suffolk where the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Ralph de la Dale and Thomas de la Dale as holding lands there at that time. [4]

William and Robert atte Delle were listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. [5]

Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls listed Thomas del Dale; Robertus del Dale; Willelmus at Dale; and Johannes at Dale. [4]

Up in Scotland, the first record there was Johannes de Dale who was charter witness at Yester, 1374, and later, Syme of Daile and Jok of Dail of the Newtoun were both listed in Ayrshire in 1470. [6]

Early History of the Dellar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dellar research. Another 44 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1607, 1649, 1657, 1658, 1660, 1665 and 1669 are included under the topic Early Dellar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dellar Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Dellar were recorded, including Dell, Delle, Dells and others.

Early Notables of the Dellar family

Notables of this surname at this time include: William Dell (c. 1607-1669), an English clergyman from Bedfordshire, Master of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge from 1649 to 1660, and prominent radical Parliamentarian.Jonas Dell (d. 1665), was an English Quaker, who died at Stepney...
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dellar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Dellar migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Dellar family emigrate to North America:

Dellar Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johan Dellar, who landed in New Jersey in 1763 [7]
  • John Dellar, who arrived in New Jersey in 1763 [7]

Australia Dellar migration to Australia +

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

Dellar Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  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. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1834 with 230 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1834


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