Dunlavey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

The ancestors of the Dunlavey surname are thought to have lived in the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. The name Dunlavey was given to someone who lived in the lands of Dunlop in the district of Cunningham. Until the mid-19th century, the name was locally pronounced Delap or Dulap.

Early Origins of the Dunlavey family

The surname Dunlavey was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where one of the first records of the name was Dominius Willelmus de Dunlop who was listed as a witness to an indenture in 1260. Interestingly, the original document was lost but a notarial copy was made in 1444. The Ragman Rolls list Neill Fitz-Robert de Dunlop.

Early History of the Dunlavey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dunlavey research. Another 283 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1496, 1564, 1620, 1654, 1663, 1665, 1667, 1677, 1684, 1690, 1692, 1700, 1706, 1720, 1745, 1747 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Dunlavey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dunlavey 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 Dunlavey has appeared as Dunlop, Dunlap, Dunlope, Delap and others.

Early Notables of the Dunlavey family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Alexander Dunlop (c.1620-c.1667), a Presbyterian minister at Paisley, Scotland; William Dunlop, the Elder (c.1654-1700) a Covenanter, adventurer, and Principal of the University of Glasgow from 1690 to 1700; and...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dunlavey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dunlavey family to Ireland

Some of the Dunlavey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dunlavey migration to the United States +

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:

Dunlavey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Ellen Dunlavey, aged 18, who landed in America from Swinford, in 1893

Dunlavey Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mary A. Dunlavey, aged 18, who landed in America, in 1902
Maria Dunlavey, aged 18, who settled in America from Swinford, in 1903
Thomas Dunlavey, aged 23, who settled in America from Sunderland, England, in 1907
John Dunlavey, aged 26, who landed in America from Newbottle, England, in 1912
Michael Dunlavey, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States from Tenbury, England, in 1913
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dunlavey (post 1700) +

Tim Dunlavey, American golf player, winner of the 1995 South Carolina Open and the 1995 Carolinas PGA Championship
Michael E. Dunlavey (b. 1945), American former Major General in the United States Army

The Dunlavey 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: Merito
Motto Translation: With merit.