Show ContentsDalbey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Dalbey was brought to England by the Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. The ancestors of the Dalbey family lived in Yortkshire. The name derives, however, from the family's former place of residence, Auby, Normandy, where they would have been referred to as D'Auby, meaning from Auby. 1

Alternatively the name could have been a local name meaning "farmstead or village in a valley," 2 and this may explain the multiple parishes so called. The Yorkshire and Leicestershire parishes date back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when they were each spelt "Dalbi." 3

Early Origins of the Dalbey family

The surname Dalbey was first found in the North Riding of Yorkshire at Dalby, a parish, in the union of Easingwould, wapentake of Bulmer. 4 Dalby is also a parish in Lincolnshire, and Dalby Magna is found in Leicestershire. Dalby on the Woods or Old Dalby is also found in Leicestershire.

The earliest records of the family were found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379: Willelmus de Dalby, osteler; and Matilda Dalby. 5

Early History of the Dalbey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dalbey research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1220, 1379, 1421, 1435, 1455, 1581, 1588, 1589, 1616, 1625, 1627, 1631, 1633, 1662, 1672, 1683, 1686, 1694, 1707, 1710, 1821, 1832, 1837 and 1870 are included under the topic Early Dalbey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dalbey Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Dalbey are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Dalbey include Dalby, Dalbie, Daylby, Dailby, D'Alby, D'Aubly and many more.

Early Notables of the Dalbey family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Richard Dalby (died before 1455), an English politician, Member of the Parliament of England for Gloucester from 1421 to 1435; Robert Dalby (died 1589), an English Catholic priest and martyr; Edward Dalby (ca.1616-1672), a Recorder of Reading, Berkshire; William Dolben (c. 1588-1631), a Welsh clergyman from Pembrokeshire; his son, Sir William Dolben KS KC (c.1627-1694), an English judge who...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dalbey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


West Indies Dalbey migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 6
Dalbey Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Joane Dalbey, who settled in Barbados in 1679

Contemporary Notables of the name Dalbey (post 1700) +

  • Brigadier-General Josiah Toney Dalbey (1898-1964), American Assistant Commanding General 5th Division (1948) 7


The Dalbey 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: In Deo spero
Motto Translation: I hope in God.


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  7. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, January 10) Josiah Dalbey. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Dalbey/Josiah_Toney/USA.html


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