Doil History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The spelling and overall form of Irish names often vary considerably. The original Gaelic form of the name Doil is Ó Dubhghaill, derived from the words dubh, which means black, and ghall, which means foreigner, or "dubhgall," which meant "dark and tall." 1

Early Origins of the Doil family

The surname Doil was first found in the counties of Wicklow, Wexford, and Carlow. Although the name is now common throughout Ireland, it has always retained a close association with these southeastern Leinster counties. Although at least one historian gives their descent from Dubhgilla, King of Idrone in Leinster, more evidence points to descent from King Conn of the "Hundred Battles." His name comes from the hundreds of battles he fought and won, before his death in the 2nd century.

It is traditionally believed that the family takes its name from a Norseman who settled in Ireland prior to the Norman Conquest; a theory that is borne out by the fact that the Doyles tended to be more concentrated in the coastal regions favored by Norse settlers. Moreover, the Gaelic word dubhghall was used in early times to refer to a Norseman or Scandinavian. With the settlement of Norsemen in various places, several distinct septs called O Dubhghail probably arose independently. 2

Early History of the Doil family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Doil research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1786, 1797, 1834, 1868, 1873 and 1917 are included under the topic Early Doil History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Doil Spelling Variations

Because early scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded, a person could have many various spellings of his name.Many different spelling variations of the surname Doil were found in the archives researched. These included Doyle, O'Doyle, Doyill, Doill, Doile, Doyel and others.

Early Notables of the Doil family

Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Doil Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Doil migration to the United States +

A massive wave of Irish immigrants hit North America during the 19th century. Although many early Irish immigrants made a carefully planned decision to leave left Ireland for the promise of free land, by the 1840s immigrants were fleeing a famine stricken land in desperation. The condition of Ireland during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s can be attributed to a rapidly expanding population and English imperial policies. Those Irish families that arrived in North America were essential to its rapid social, industrial, and economic development. Passenger and immigration lists have revealed a number of early Irish immigrants bearing the name Doil:

Doil Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Timothy Doil, who arrived in St Clair County, III in 1871 3

The Doil 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: Fortitudine Vincit
Motto Translation: He conquers by fortitude.

Citations +

O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
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)