Darlene History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The ancient history of the name Darlene dates back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name given to a person who was greatly loved by his friends and family. The surname was originally derived from the word deorling, which meant darling. 1 2

Early Origins of the Darlene family

The surname Darlene was first found in Devon where Oter Dirlinges sunu was listed (1100-1130.) 3

However, another source claims there is an even older Saxon reference "AElfmar Dyrling, a noble youth is mentioned in the Saxon Chronicle." 4

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle dates back to the late 9th century probably in Wessex and was updated through 1154. The name Derling with no personal name was listed in Bedfordshire 1133-1160 and later in the Pipe Rolls of Devon in 1177. In the same year many miles to the north, the first listing of the name in Scotland was found specifically Derlig de Ardift who was a witness to a charter. 5

But continuing the quest in England, we found Durling atte Forde in 1330, William Dierling (Derling) in the Pipe Rolls of Devon 1195-1196. 3 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists: Ricardus Derlyng; Adam Derlyng; and Johannes Derlyng. 2

A few years later in Scotland, Waldevus Darling or Derlyng was a charter witness in Roxburgh c. 1338. Sir John Derlynge was precentor of Caithness in 1368 and later John Derling and Andrew Derling were burgesses of Edinburgh in 1381. 5

Early History of the Darlene family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Darlene research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1772, 1775, 1778, 1793, 1815, 1825, 1831, 1838, 1842, 1848, 1858, 1860 and 1865 are included under the topic Early Darlene History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Darlene Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Darlene include Darling, Derling, Darlin, Durling, Darline, Derline, Derlin and many more.

Early Notables of the Darlene family

Distinguished members of the family include General Sir Ralph Darling, GCH (1772-1858), a British colonial Governor and the seventh Governor of New South Wales (from 19 December 1825 to 22 October 1831). He "was son of Christopher Darling, who was promoted from sergeant-major to the adjutancy of the 45th foot in...
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Darlene Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Darlene family to Ireland

Some of the Darlene 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 Darlene family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Darlene or a variant listed above: Francis Darling who settled in Virginia in 1654; George Darling settled in Boston in 1651; another George Darling settled in Virginia in 1774; Richard Darling settled in Virginia in 1651 with his wife Ruth..

Contemporary Notables of the name Darlene (post 1700) +

E. Darlene Strock, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maryland, 1988 6
Colonel Yvonne Darlene Cagle M.D. (b. 1959), American Air Force officer and NASA astronaut
Darlene Fleckney, real estate professional from Halifax, Nova Scotia
Darlene Ruth Hard (1936-2021), American professional tennis player; she captured singles titles at the French Championships in 1960 and the U.S. Championships in 1960 and 1961
Darlene Enlow (1939-2009), American actress from Independence, Missouri, known for Diary of a Bachelor (1964), It Takes a Thief (1968) and Perry Mason (1957)
Darlene Pomales, birth name of Darlene Rodriguez, American co-anchor of Today in New York on WNBC
Darlene Tejeiro (b. 1975), American actress from Union City, New Jersey, known for her work in Star Trek (2009), Starsky & Hutch (2004), All My Children (1995-1999)
Darlene Kay Olson Hooley (b. 1939), American politician, Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon (1997-2009)
Darlene Kordonowy, American politician, Mayor of Bainbridge Island, Washington, 2002-
Darlene Mickelsen, American fourth outfielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1943 and 1945

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html