Show ContentsDaglish History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the Daglish surname are thought to have lived in the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. The name Daglish was given to someone who lived in the ancient lands of Dalgleish on Tima Water, in the parish of Ettrick, in the county of Selkirk, Scotland. The place name comes from the Celtic dol, meaning "field," and glas, or "green." 1

Early Origins of the Daglish family

The surname Daglish was first found in Selkirkshire (Scottish Gaelic: Siorrachd Shalcraig).

Some of the first records of the family include: "Symon de Dalgles [who] in 1407 witnessed a charter by Robert, Duke of Albany in favor of John de Hawdene of the lands of Hawdene and Yethame. Simon of Daigles, probably a son of Symon, was canon and prebend of Askirk in 1448." 2

The Dalgleish family figured prominently in the Scottish-English border conflicts.

Early History of the Daglish family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Daglish research. Another 247 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1350, 1452, 1484, 1494, 1503, 1507, 1510, 1521, 1556, 1560, 1582, 1586, 1590, 1591 and 1597 are included under the topic Early Daglish History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Daglish 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 Daglish has appeared as Dalgleish, Dalgliesh, Dalglish, Dalglese, Dagleish, Dagleishe, Dalgleise, Dalgleiss, Dalgiss, Dalgis, Dalglis and many more.

Early Notables of the Daglish family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Sir William Dalgles; and Nicol Dalgleish (c.,1560 - ?), Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1591. Nicol was born about 1560. His brother was a merchant in Inverness so he may have originated in, or had connections with that city. He is mentioned as having been a Regent (or teacher) in St Leonard's College in the University of St Andrews, so...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Daglish Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Daglish 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:

Daglish Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Daglish, aged 23, who arrived in New York in 1849 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Daglish (post 1700) +

  • Henry Daglish (1866-1920), Australian politician, 6th Premier of Western Australia and the state's first Labor Premier (1904-1905), eponym of Daglish, a small western suburb of Perth, Western Australia
  • Eric Fitch Daglish (1892-1966), British engraver and author
  • Ian Daglish (1952-2011), British military historian, a specialist in World War II and the British Army in the Battle of Normandy
  • Ben Daglish (b. 1966), English composer and musician from London
  • Robert Daglish (1777-1865), English steam engineer, founder of Robert Daglish & Co in 1818


The Daglish 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: Deliciae meae
Motto Translation: My delight.


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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