Darkley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The ancestors of the Darkley surname are thought to have lived in the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. The name Darkley was given to someone who lived in the village of Dargie, in the parish of Liff-Benvie in Angus.

Early Origins of the Darkley family

The surname Darkley was first found in Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, formerly known as Forfar or Forfarshire, where they held a family seat from early times.

Early History of the Darkley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Darkley research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1600 and 1613 are included under the topic Early Darkley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Darkley Spelling Variations

The translation of Gaelic names in the Middle Ages was not a task undertaken with great care. Records from that era show an enormous number of spelling variations, even in names referring to the same person. Over the years Darkley has appeared as Dargie, Dargey, Dargy, Dairgy, Dairgie, Dairgey and others.

Early Notables of the Darkley family

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

Migration of the Darkley family to Ireland

Some of the Darkley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Darkley family

Significant portions of the populations of both the United States and Canada are still made up of the ancestors of Dalriadan families. Some of those in Canada originally settled the United States, but went north as United Empire Loyalists in the American War of Independence. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the ancestors of many Scots on both sides of the border begin to recover their collective national heritage through Clan societies and highland games. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: John Dargie who settled in Boston in the year 1762.