Show ContentsDelaney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Today's Irish surnames are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Delaney originally appeared in Gaelic as Dubhshlainte. The word "dubh" means black, and Slaine is topographical; it is Anglicized as Slaney, and may refer to the river Slaney.

Early Origins of the Delaney family

The surname Delaney was first found in Leinster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Delaney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Delaney research. Another 181 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1178 and 1202 are included under the topic Early Delaney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Delaney Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Delaney, Delany, Delane, Delaune, Dalaney and others.

Early Notables of the Delaney family

More information is included under the topic Early Delaney Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Delaney World Ranking

In the United States, the name Delaney is the 929th most popular surname with an estimated 32,331 people with that name. 1 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Delaney is ranked the 207th most popular surname with an estimated 203 people with that name. 2 And in Australia, the name Delaney is the 477th popular surname with an estimated 7,900 people with that name. 3 New Zealand ranks Delaney as 992nd with 759 people. 4 The United Kingdom ranks Delaney as 960th with 7,267 people. 5


United States Delaney migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Delaney Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Delaney who settled in Maryland in 1740
  • Anne Delaney, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 6
Delaney Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Delaney, who arrived in America in 1801 6
  • Moses Delaney, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1812 6
  • B Delaney, aged 41, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1829 6
  • Patrick Delaney, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1832 6
  • William Delaney, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Delaney migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Delaney Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Grace Delaney who settled in Western Bay, Newfoundland in 1740 7
  • Patrick Delaney, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749
  • Daniel Delaney, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Thomas Delaney who settled in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland in 1772 7
Delaney Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Daniel Delaney, aged 30, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Thomas Hanford" from Cork, Ireland
  • Patrick Delaney, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1843
  • Mr. Henry Delaney, aged 15 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Lillian" departing from the port of Dublin, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in 5th September 1847 8
  • Ms. Margaret Delaney, aged 21 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Free Trader" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in September 1847 8
  • Miss. Ann Delaney, aged 3 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Jane Avery" departing 9th May 1847 from Dublin, Ireland; the ship arrived on 25th June 1847 but she died on board 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Delaney migration to Australia +

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

Delaney Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr.James Delaney, Irish farmer who was convicted in Wicklow, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Bencoolen" on 24th April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia before being transferred to Tasmania via the "Admiral Cockburn" 10
  • Mr. James Delaney, (b. 1804), aged 18, Irish butcher who was convicted in County Kerry, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Brampton" on 8th November 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1891 11
  • Miss Anne Delaney, (Mary), (b. 1803), aged 23, Irish house servant who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 3rd October 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
  • Mr. Patrick Delaney, (b. 1813), aged 14, Irish errand boy who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for pick pocketing, transported aboard the "Cambridge" on 2nd June 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
  • Mr. James Delaney, (b. 1790), aged 38, Irish convict who was convicted in County Laois (Queen's County), Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Fergusson" on 16th November 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Delaney 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:

Delaney Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • James Delaney, aged 43, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Inchinnan" in 1852 15
  • Cecelia Delaney, aged 40, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Inchinnan" in 1852 15
  • James Delaney, aged 11, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Inchinnan" in 1852 15
  • Mr. James Delaney, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Inchinnan" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 27th May 1852 15
  • Miss Catherine Delaney, British settler as Sister of Mercy travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Dinapore" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 5th August 1857 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Delaney (post 1700) +

  • Henry F. Delaney, American lawyer, eponym of Dulaney, Kentucky in 1892
  • Kim Delaney (b. 1961), American actress best known for her role as Detective Diane Russell on the television series, NYPD Blue
  • Joe Alton Delaney (1958-1983), American NFL football running back
  • Francis James "Jim" Delaney (1921-2012), American silver medalist in the shot put at the 1948 Summer Olympics
  • James Delaney (b. 1953), American former professional tennis player
  • John Adrian Delaney (b. 1956), American lawyer, politician and university administrator
  • Arthur K. Delaney (1841-1905), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Wisconsin State Assembly, 1869-70; Mayor of Juneau, Alaska, 1900-01 16
  • Arthur J. Delaney, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County 5th District, 1858 16
  • Anne Marie Delaney, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1980 16
  • Anna Delaney, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Connecticut, 1932 16
  • ... (Another 67 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. Austin Delaney (d. 1914), British Assistant Saloon Steward from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 17
RMS Lusitania
  • Miss Mary Delaney, American 3rd Class passenger from New York, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 18


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  3. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  4. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  5. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  6. 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)
  7. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  8. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 24)
  9. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 72)
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bencoolen
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Brampton
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/brothers
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cambridge
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 4th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fergusson
  15. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  16. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, March 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  17. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  18. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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