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| Origins Available: |
| | Ireland |
The spelling and overall form of Irish names often vary considerably. The original Gaelic form of the name Doyel is Ó Dubhghaill, derived from the words dubh, which means black, and ghall, which means foreigner, or "dubhgall," which meant "dark and tall." 1
The surname Doyel was first found in the counties of Wicklow, Wexford, and Carlow. Although the name is now common throughout Ireland, it has always retained a close association with these southeastern Leinster counties. Although at least one historian gives their descent from Dubhgilla, King of Idrone in Leinster, more evidence points to descent from King Conn of the "Hundred Battles." His name comes from the hundreds of battles he fought and won, before his death in the 2nd century.
It is traditionally believed that the family takes its name from a Norseman who settled in Ireland prior to the Norman Conquest; a theory that is borne out by the fact that the Doyles tended to be more concentrated in the coastal regions favored by Norse settlers. Moreover, the Gaelic word dubhghall was used in early times to refer to a Norseman or Scandinavian. With the settlement of Norsemen in various places, several distinct septs called O Dubhghail probably arose independently. 2
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Doyel research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1786, 1797, 1834, 1868, 1873 and 1917 are included under the topic Early Doyel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The search for the origins of the name Doyel family name revealed numerous spelling variations. These variants can be somewhat accounted for when it is realized that before widespread literacy people only recognized their name by pronunciation; it was up to scribes to decide how it was to be formally recorded. Variations found include Doyle, O'Doyle, Doyill, Doill, Doile, Doyel and others.
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Doyel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The 18th century saw the slow yet steady emigration of Irish families to British North America and the United States. Those early Irish settlers that left their homeland were typically moderately well off: they were enticed by the promise of a sizable plot of land. However, by the 1840s, this pattern of immigration was gone: immigrants to North America were seeking refuge from the starvation and disease that the Great Potato Famine of that decade brought. The great numbers of Irish that arrived to the United States and the soon to be Canada were instrumental in their quick development as powerful industrial nations. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists uncovered many early immigrants bearing the name Doyel: