O'Dorcey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

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 O'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 O'Dorcey family

The surname O'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 O'Dorcey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'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 O'Dorcey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Dorcey Spelling Variations

Names during the Middle Ages were often recorded under several different spelling variations during the life of their bearers. Literacy was rare at that time and so how a person's name was recorded was decided by the individual scribe. Variations of the name O'Dorcey include Dorcey, Dorcy, Dorsey, Darcey, D'Arcy, O'Dorcey, MacDarcy, Darsy and many more.

Early Notables of the O'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 O'Dorcey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the O'Dorcey family

In the late 18th century, Irish families began emigrating to North America in the search of a plot of land to call their own. This pattern of emigration grew steadily until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s cause thousands of Irish to flee the death and disease that accompanied the disaster. Those that made it alive to the shores of the United States and British North America (later to become Canada) were, however, instrumental in the development of those two powerful nations. Many of these Irish immigrants proudly bore the name of O'Dorcey: Edward Dorsey, who came to Virginia in 1646; Michael Darcy, who settled in Boston, Massachusetts in 1767; George Darcy, who was living in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1774.

The O'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.