Show ContentsDorcey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Gaelic is at the heart of all the Irish surnames that can be found throughout the world today. The original Gaelic form of the name Dorcey is "O'Dorchaidhe," from the word "dorcha," which means "dark." Alternatively, some branches of the family may be descended from Norman stock; the name is also derived from "Arcy," the name of a place in La Manche, Normandy. In this case, the surname would refer to "one from Arcy."

Early Origins of the Dorcey family

The surname Dorcey was first found in Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Dorcey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dorcey research. Another 338 words (24 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1334, 1384, 1598, 1668, 1725 and 1779 are included under the topic Early Dorcey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dorcey Spelling Variations

Numerous spelling variations of the surname Dorcey exist. A partial explanation for these variants is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. Different spellings that were found include Dorcey, Dorcy, Dorsey, Darcey, D'Arcy, O'Dorcey, MacDarcy, Darsy and many more.

Early Notables of the Dorcey family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Sir John D'Arcy, chief Governor of Ireland under Kings Edward I, II, III (14th century); Patrick Darcy (1598-1668) a...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dorcey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Canada Dorcey migration to Canada +

Irish families began to immigrate to British North America and the United States in the 18th century, but the greatest influx of Irish immigrants came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. The earlier settlers came to North America after a great deal of consideration and by paying relatively high fees for their passage. These settlers were primarily drawn by the promise of land. Those later settlers that came during the 1840's were trying to escape the conditions of poverty, starvation, disease, and death that had stricken Ireland. Due to the enormity of their numbers and the late date of their arrival, these immigrants primarily became hired laborers instead of homesteading settlers like their predecessors. An exhaustive search of immigration and passenger lists has revealed many Irish immigrants North America bearing the name Dorcey:

Dorcey Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • James Dorcey, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1823

Contemporary Notables of the name Dorcey (post 1700) +

  • Dorcey Kedridge Lybrand, American politician, Member of South Carolina State Senate from Aiken County, 1949-52, 1957-60 1


The Dorcey 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: Un dieu, un roi
Motto Translation: One God, one king.


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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