Dooley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Ireland 


While many Irish names are familiar, their past incarnations are often shrouded in mystery, reflecting the ancient Gaelic heritage of their bearers. The original Gaelic form of the name Dooley is Ó Dubhlaoich, derived from the words dubh, which means "dark featured, great, prodigious, burned" 1, and laoch, referring to a hero or champion.

Early Origins of the Dooley family

The surname Dooley was first found in Westmeath (Irish: An Iarmhí) in the Irish Midlands, province of Leinster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. According to O'Hart, the family claim descent through the MacMorough family which are descendants of the Heremon Kings of Ireland and were Chiefs in the County Wicklow and Queen's County. 1

Early History of the Dooley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dooley research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1622, 1702, 1787, 1801 and 1844 are included under the topic Early Dooley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dooley Spelling Variations

The spelling of one's surname was not as important as it is today. Names were recorded as they sounded and in many cases, one's surname changed with each listing. As a result, surnames often had many spelling variations. For Dooley some of these variations included: Dooley, Dooly, O'Dooley, O'Dooly and others.

Early Notables of the Dooley family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

Dooley Ranking

In the United States, the name Dooley is the 1,236th most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 2 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Dooley is ranked the 395th most popular surname with an estimated 118 people with that name. 3


Dooley migration to the United States +

Irish families fled the English-colonized Ireland in record numbers during the 19th century for North America. Many of those destitute families died from disease during, and even shortly after, the long journey. Although those that immigrated before the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s often were granted a tract of land, those that arrived later were generally accommodated in urban centers or in work camps. Those in the urban centers would labor in the manufacturing sector, whereas those in work camps would to build critical infrastructures such as bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Regardless of when these Irish immigrants came to North America, they were critical for the rapid development of the young nations of the United States and Canada. Early immigration and passenger lists have recorded many early immigrants bearing the name of Dooley:

Dooley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Dooley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Dooley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dooley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Dooley migration to Australia +

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

Dooley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Dooley migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Dooley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Dooley (post 1700) +
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