Show ContentsDealey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient roots of the Dealey family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Dealey comes from when the family 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 Dealey family

The surname Dealey 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 Dealey family

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

Dealey Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Dealey has appeared include Deal, Deale, Dealey, Dealy, Deel and others.

Early Notables of the Dealey family

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


United States Dealey migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Dealey arrived in North America very early:

Dealey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • J R Dealey, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 [7]

Australia Dealey migration to Australia +

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

Dealey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Sally Dealey, aged 21, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Australia"

Contemporary Notables of the name Dealey (post 1700) +

  • Commander Samuel David Dealey (1906-1944), American officer awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor [8]
  • Mandy Dealey, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Texas State House of Representatives 48th District, 2000 [9]


  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. Samuel Dealey. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Samuel Dealey. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_D._Dealey
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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