Show ContentsDearlove History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Dearlove

What does the name Dearlove mean?

The name Dearlove was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Dearlove family lived in Derbyshire. They were originally from Erle in Calvados, Normandy, and it is from the local form of this name, D'Erle, which means, from Erle, that their name derives. 1

Alternatively, the name could have originated at Durley, a village and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. This village dates back to Saxon times when it was known as Deorleage in 901. 2 By the Domesday Book of 1086, it was called Derleie. 3

Early Origins of the Dearlove family

The surname Dearlove was first found in Derbyshire at Darley, a parish, in the union of Bakewell, partly in the hundred of Wirksworth. Darley Abbey is a historic mill village, now a suburb of the city of Derby and Darley Dale, also known simply as Darley, is a town and civil parish. 4 5

Darley Dale dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Dereleie. 3 Darley Abbey was an Augustinian monastery that dates back to the 12th century when it was first listed as Derega. 2

In the parish of Lastingham, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, the Darley family have been lords of the manor there for a considerable time. 6

A scan of early rolls revealed Warin de Derleg in the Pipe Rolls for Essex in 1200 and William de Derlay the the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4

Another source notes the following in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: John de Derleye, Yorkshire; Richard de Derleye, Derbyshire; and Robert de Derleg, Derbyshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 includes entries for Agnes de Derlay; Nicholaus de Derlegh; and Beatrix de Derlay. 7

Early History of the Dearlove family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dearlove research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1541, 1559, 1587, 1652, 1689, 1702, 1795, 1798, 1799, 1830, 1846, 1872, 1884 and 1910 are included under the topic Early Dearlove History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dearlove Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Darley, Darleigh, Darligh, Darly and others.

Early Notables of the Dearlove family

George Darley (1795-1846), an Irish poet, novelist, and critic; and Thomas Darley of Aldby Park, Yorkshire who in 1702 bought an Arabian horse named Darley Arabian. This horse's bloodline is...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dearlove Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dearlove family to Ireland

Some of the Dearlove family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 239 words (17 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Dearlove migration to Australia +

Dearlove Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Henry Dearlove, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Medway" in 1846 8
  • Richard Dearlove, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sir Edward Parry" in 1849 9
  • Richard Dearlove, aged 19, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Sir Edward Parry" 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Dearlove (post 1700) +

  • Richard Dearlove (b. 1966), better known by his stage name Diddy, an English DJ
  • Alfred Dearlove (1869-1955), English cricketer from Bristol who played for Gloucestershire between 1895 and 1900
  • Jack Gilroy Dearlove (1911-1967), English bronze medalist rower for Great Britain in the 1948 Summer Olympics, father of Sir Richard Dearlove
  • Sir Richard Billing Dearlove KCMG OBE (b. 1945), Cornish head of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) from 1999 until 6 May 2004


The Dearlove 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: Per mare
Motto Translation: By sea.


  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. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  6. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  7. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  8. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) MEDWAY 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846Medway.htm
  9. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The SIR EDWARD PARRY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849SirEdwardParry.htm


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