Show ContentsDaily History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The spelling and overall form of Irish names often vary considerably. The original Gaelic form of the name Daily is Ó Dalaigh, from the word "dalach," which comes from "dail," which means "assembly." 1

Early Origins of the Daily family

The surname Daily was first found in the barony of Magheradernon, in County Westmeath and traditionally claim descent from Eanna Ceannselach (Ian Kinsella), King of Leinster. They became Chiefs of Muintir Bhaire in the south west of Cork, and later in the north west of the same county, largely in O'Keefe's country. A distinct sept was found in Desmond as early as 1165.

"Cuconnachta-na-Scoil O'Daly (or "Cuconnachta of the Schools") was the first of this family that assumed the surname." 2

Early History of the Daily family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Daily research. Another 198 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1139, 1574, 1583, 1595, 1600, 1614, 1617, 1638, 1662, 1665, 1680, 1721, 1902, 1955 and 1976 are included under the topic Early Daily History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Daily 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 Daily include Daly, Daley, Daylie, Dayley, Dalley, Dailey, Daily, Dailley, Dally, O'Daily, O'Daley and many more.

Early Notables of the Daily family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Daniel O'Daly (1595-1662), Irish diplomat and historian. He was "a native of Kerry, born in 1595, was member of a branch of an Irish sept which took its name from an ancestor, Dalach, in the twelfth century. His family were among the adherents of the Earl of Desmond, who was attainted for having opposed the government of Queen Elizabeth in Ireland, and was killed there in 1583. " 3Angus O'Daly (d. 1617), was the Irish...
Another 83 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Daily Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Daily Ranking

In the United States, the name Daily is the 3,250th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 4


Daily migration to the United States +

Many destitute Irish families in the 18th and 19th centuries decided to leave their homeland, which had in many ways been scarred by English colonial rule. One of the most frequent destinations for these families was North America where it was possible for an Irish family to own their own parcel of land. Many of the early settlers did find land awaiting them in British North America, or even later in America, but for the majority of immigrants that arrived as a result of the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s the ownership of land was often a long way off. These Irish people were initially put to work on such industrial projects as the building of bridges, canals, and railroads, or they worked at manufacturing positions within factories. Whenever they arrived, the Irish made enormous contributions to the infant nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the earliest immigrants to bearer the name of Daily were found through extensive research of immigration and passenger lists:

Daily Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Catherine Daily, aged 22, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 5
  • Charles Daily, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 5
  • Henry Daily, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 5
  • James Daily, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1819 5
  • John Daily, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1823 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Daily Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mrs. Mary Ann Daily, (b. 1870), aged 33, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 26th September 1903 en route to Colorado, USA 6
  • Miss Mary Gladys Daily, (b. 1895), aged 8, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 26th September 1903 en route to Colorado, USA 6

Daily migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Daily Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Honora Daily, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1817
  • Philip Daily, aged 28, a carpenter, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Neptune" in 1833
  • Ellen Daily, aged 21, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Neptune" in 1833
  • Patrick Daily, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Robert Burns" in 1834
  • William Daily, aged 25, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Daily migration to Australia +

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

Daily Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • John Daily, aged 24, a miner, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"
  • Thomas Daily, Scottish convict from Glasgow, who was transported aboard the "Adelaide" on April 16, 1855, settling in Western Australia 7
  • Charlotte Daily, aged 29, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Amazon"

Daily 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:

Daily Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Isabella Daily, (b. 1861), aged 8 months, Irish settler from Waterford travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862 8
  • Mr. Robert Daily, (b. 1835), aged 27, Irish labourer from Waterford travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862 8
  • Mrs. Eliza Ann Daily, (b. 1842), aged 20, Irish settler from Waterford travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862 8
  • Miss Elizabeth Daily, (b. 1849), aged 25, Irish settler from Fermanagh travelling from London aboard the ship "Sussex" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 17th July 1874 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Daily (post 1700) +

  • Bill Daily (1927-2018), American comedian and dramatic actor, known for his sitcom work as Major Roger Healey on I Dream of Jeannie, and Howard Borden on The Bob Newhart Show 9
  • Joseph Earl Daily (1888-1965), American jurist who served on the Illinois Supreme Court and was chief justice of the court
  • Thomas Vose Daily (1927-2017), American prelate, Bishop of Brooklyn (1990–2003)
  • Harold W. Daily (1902-1987), American country music record producer
  • Bob Daily, American television producer and screenwriter
  • Hugh Ignatius Daily (1847-1923), Irish American professional right-handed pitcher
  • Elizabeth Daily (b. 1961), American voice actress, actress, singer-songwriter, and musician
  • Stephen Daily Susman (1941-2020), American commercial plaintiffs attorney and founding and name partner of Susman Godfrey LLP
  • Abdiel Daily Crossman (1804-1859), American politician, Mayor of New Orleans (1846 to 1854)
  • Mrs. Daily Richmond, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1936 10


The Daily 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: Deo fidelis et Regi
Motto Translation: Loyal to God and king


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. 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)
  6. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  7. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 17) Adelaide voyage to Western Australia, Australia in 1855 with 261 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adelaide/1855
  8. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  9. Bill Daily. (Retrieved 2011, January 21) Bill Daily. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Daily
  10. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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