| Dempsey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms - Origins Available:
Ireland Today's Irish surnames are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Dempsey originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Diomasaigh, from the word "diomasach," which means "proud." 1 Early Origins of the Dempsey familyThe surname Dempsey was first found in King's County and Queen's County, where they were traditional Chiefs of Clanmaliere, a territory that lay on both sides of the river Barrow. It contained parts of Geashill and Phillipstown in Kings County and parts of Portnehinch in Queen's County. They claim descent through the O'Connors of Offaly, specifically the 2nd century Irish King, Cathair Mor. 2 According to O'Hart, they claim descent from through the "Connor" Faley pedigree. Early History of the Dempsey familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dempsey research. Another 286 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1193, 1599, 1631, 1641, 1652 and 1865 are included under the topic Early Dempsey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Dempsey Spelling VariationsNames from the Middle Ages demonstrate many spelling variations. This is because the recording scribe or church official often decided as to how a person's name was spelt and in what language. Research into the name Dempsey revealed many variations, including Dempsey, O'Dempsey, Dempsy, Dempsay, Dempsie and many more. Early Notables of the Dempsey familyNotable among the family name at this time was - Sir Terence O'Dempsey, knighted May 1599, by Robert Devereux, earl of Essex, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Terence was created "Baron of Philipstown," and Viscount Clanmaliere, by patent dated 8th July...
Dempsey World RankingIn the United States, the name Dempsey is the 1,253rd most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 3 However, in Australia, the name Dempsey is ranked the 788th most popular surname with an estimated 4,953 people with that name. 4 And in New Zealand, the name Dempsey is the 750th popular surname with an estimated 968 people with that name. 5
Dempsey migration to the United States | + |
The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish families leaving Ireland for the distant shores of North America and Australia. These families often left their homeland hungry, penniless, and destitute due to the policies of England. Those Irish immigrants that survived the long sea passage initially settled on the eastern seaboard of the continent. Some, however, moved north to a then infant Canada as United Empire Loyalists after ironically serving with the English in the American War of Independence. Others that remained in America later joined the westward migration in search of land. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, though, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America, and those who arrived were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. In fact, the foundations of today's powerful nations of the United States and Canada were to a larger degree built by the Irish. Archival documents indicate that members of the Dempsey family relocated to North American shores quite early:
Dempsey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Capt. Dempsey, who landed in Georgia in 1741 6
- Ann Dempsey, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1753 6
Dempsey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Joseph Dempsey, aged 18, who landed in New York, NY in 1804 6
- Mary Dempsey, aged 14, who landed in New York in 1810 6
- Edward Dempsey, who settled in New York in 1810
- Francis Dempsey, who arrived in New York in 1810 6
- Catherine Dempsey, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 6
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Dempsey migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Dempsey Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century- Mr. Thomas Dempsey U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 7
Dempsey Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- William Dempsey, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1820
- James Dempsey, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Hibernia" from Kinsale, Ireland
- Norry Dempsey, aged 26, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Hibernia" from Kinsale, Ireland
- James Dempsey, aged 1, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Hibernia" from Kinsale, Ireland
- John Dempsey, aged 11, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Hibernia" from Kinsale, Ireland
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Dempsey migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Dempsey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. John Dempsey, (b. 1778), aged 24, Irish labourer who was convicted in Wicklow, Ireland for lif for being an Irish rebel , transported aboard the "Atlas" on 30th May 1802, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1845 8
- Mr. Edward Dempsey, (b. 1789), aged 20, Irish convict who was convicted in Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Boyd" on 10th March 1809, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
- Dennis Dempsey, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 10
- Mr. John Dempsey, (b. 1793), aged 27, Irish groom who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for felony, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
- Mr. John Dempsey, (b. 1804), aged 19, Irish groom who was convicted in Wicklow, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Castle Forbes" on 28th September 1823, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Dempsey 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: Dempsey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr. William Dempsey, British settler arriving as Detachment of the Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 13
- Mrs. Julia Dempsey, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 13
- John Dempsey, aged 25, a saddler, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1856
- Miss Nancy Dempsey, (b. 1847), aged 19, British domestic servant travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bombay" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 18th August 1866 14
- William Dempsey, aged 23, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Forfarshire" in 1873 15
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Dempsey (post 1700) | + |
- Thomas John "Tom" Dempsey (1947-2020), American professional NFL football placekicker, inducted into New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame
- Sandy Dempsey (d. 1975), American actress, known for The Chaperone (1974), The Black Alley Cats (1973) and Teenage Innocence (1973)
- Lisa Dempsey (b. 1964), American stunt-woman, known for her work on Titanic (1997), Minority Report (2002) and Jurassic World (2015)
- General Martin E. Dempsey (b. 1952), USA American Army officer, 18th and current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Clint Dempsey (b. 1983), American soccer player from Nacogdoches, Texas
- Jack Dempsey (1895-1983), American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926, inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame
- Patrick Galen Dempsey (b. 1966), American Golden Globe Award and Emmy Award nominated actor
- Donald Dempsey (1932-2005), American recording executive
- Ian Michael Dempsey (b. 1961), Irish presenter of television and breakfast radio
- Girvan Dempsey (b. 1975), Irish retired rugby union footballer
- ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Dempsey family | + |
Bradford City stadium fire - Derek Dempsey (1939-1985), from Morley who attended the Bradford City and Lincoln City Third Division match on 11th May 1985 when the Bradford City stadium fire occurred and he died in the fire
- Mr. Martin Dempsey (b. 1916), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 16
- Mr. Joseph Dempsey, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 17
- MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
- O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
- "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
- 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)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Boyd
- State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Ann voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1809 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/ann/1809
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
- Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 2nd January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/castle-forbes
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 6th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
- HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
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