Darby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Darby

What does the name Darby mean?

Today's Irish surnames are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Darby comes from the Irish Gaelic Mac Diarmada, which means "son of Diarmuid," or, son of Dermot and belongs to the venerable Irish tradition of patronymic naming. However another source claims the name came from the Irish diarmaid, which meant "the god of arms." 1

Early Origins of the Darby family

The surname Darby was first found in County Roscommon (Irish: Ros Comáin) located in central Ireland in the province of Connacht, where the family is believed to have been descended from the Heremon dynasty of Irish Kings and were known as the Princes of Moylurg, or the Kings of Connacht, known as the Clann Mulroona. Specifically they were descended from Teige, a King of Connacht and his son, Murtogh, Prince of Moylurg. Their ancient territories were in the counties of Roscommon and Galway. They were divided into three septs. One of the septs embraced English rule early and relatively painlessly, the other two suffered at the hands of Strongbow's invasion in the 12th century. Of the other two septs, the more prominent is based in Coolavin, in Sligo. This sept was originally found at Moylurg and controlled a large part of Roscommon.

"The MacDermotts were ancient Princes of Moylurg, having their territories in the Barony of Boyle, County Koscommon, and parts of the Parishes of Islandeady, Turlough and Breaffy, in Counties Sligo and Mayo. Their chief fortress "was on an island in Lough Key, near Boyle," and they were hereditary Marshals of Connaught. At the present time Connaught is the province in which the MacDermotts are principally found, and half of the persons of the name in that province belong to County Roscommon. " 2

The head of this branch was one of the few leaders who is still credited as an authentic chieftain by the Genealogical Office of Ireland, conferring the rightful title The MacDermot. Moreover, the chief is also unofficially styled Prince of Coolavin. The third sept held a family seat at Kilronan in the north of Roscommon, and was referred to as MacDermot Roe, from the word ruadh, which means "red."

Early History of the Darby family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Darby research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1251, 1320, 1592, 1641, 1707 and 1717 are included under the topic Early Darby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Darby Spelling Variations

Those scribes in Ireland during the Middle Ages recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in this era many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the Darby family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Dermott, Dermot, Dermitt, Dermit, McDermott, Dermutt, Dermut, MacDermott, McDermot, MacDermot, MacDermitt, McDermitt, MacDermit and many more.

Early Notables of the Darby family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Darby Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Darby Ranking

In the United States, the name Darby is the 1,730^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 3 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Darby is ranked the 810^th most popular surname with an estimated 8,343 people with that name. 4

Darby migration to the United States +

A massive amount of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century for North America and Australia in hopes of finding more opportunities and an escape from discrimination and oppression. A great portion of these migrants arrived on the eastern shores of the North American continent. Although they were generally poor and destitute, and, therefore, again discriminated against, these Irish people were heartily welcomed for the hard labor involved in the construction of railroads, canals, roadways, and buildings. Many others were put to work in the newly established factories or agricultural projects that were so essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the world. The Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s initiated the largest wave of Iris immigration. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Darby or a variant listed above:

Darby Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Tho Darby, who landed in Virginia in 1635 5
Ann Darby, who landed in Virginia in 1650 5
Edward Darby, who landed in Virginia in 1657 5
Sibilla Darby, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 5
John Darby, who arrived in Virginia in 1664 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Darby Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Richard Darby, who arrived in Virginia in 1718 5
Jonathan Darby, who landed in Louisiana in 1718-1724 5
Captain Darby, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1766
Chal Darby, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1766

Darby Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Daniel Darby, who arrived in America in 1807 5
Hugh Darby, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1823 5
George Frederick Darby, who arrived in New York, NY in 1837 5
William Henry Darby, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 5
James Darby, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Darby migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Darby Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Charles Darby U.E. who settled in St. Stephen, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Port Matoon Association as well as a crew member aboard "Miranda" 6
Mr. Benjamin Darby U.E., "Derby" ( b. 1744) born in Devonshire, England from Newbury, New York, USA who settled in Grimross [Gagetown], Queens County, New Brunswick c. 1785 then on to Isle St. Jean he was a Scout for Rogers' Ranger he married twice having 14 children he died in 1844 in St. Eleanor's, Prince Edward Island 6
Mr. John Darby U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c.1786 6

Darby Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. Daniel Darby, aged 3 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Bee" departing 17th April 1847 from Cork, Ireland; the ship arrived on 12th June 1847 but he died on board 7
Mr. John Darby, aged 40 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Abbotsford" departing 23rd April 1847 from Dublin, Ireland; the ship arrived on 21st June 1847 but he died on board 7

Darby migration to Australia +

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

Darby Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Joshua Darby, English convict from Warwick, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 17, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 8
Mr Darby, British convict from Berbice, Guyana, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on July 29th, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 9
James Darby, a tanner, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mr. John Darby, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Captain Cook" on 2nd May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Richard Darby, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 14th October 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Darby 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:

Darby Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

J Darby, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1818
Miss Rebecca M. Darby, (b. 1842), aged 21, English domestic servant from Oxfordshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 12

Darby 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. 13

Darby Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Elizabeth Darby, who settled in Barbados in 1670

Contemporary Notables of the name Darby (post 1700) +

Sidney Newman Darby (1928-2016), American inventor credited with inventing the first windsurfing craft or sailboard, but was unable to obtain a patent because he could not afford lawyer fees
Kenneth Lorin Darby (1909-1992), American three-time Academy Award and Grammy Award winning composer, vocal arranger, lyricist, and conductor
Ensign Marshall E. Darby (1918-1941), American seaman killed in action, while serving aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, eponym of the USS Darby (DE-218), a Buckley-class destroyer escort
Kenneth Darby (b. 1982), American NFL football running back
Kim Darby (b. 1947), born Deborah Zerby, American actress perhaps best known for co-starring with John Wayne and Glen Campbell in the 1969 western True Grit; at the age of 21, she played the 14 year old co-satr
Brigadier General William Orlando Darby (1911-1945), American soldier who led the famous Darby's Rangers which evolved into the US Army Rangers, recipient of the Croix de Guerre and the Distinguished Service Cross during WWII 14
Ezra Darby (1768-1808), American Democratic Party politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly, 1802-04; U.S. Representative from New Jersey, 1805-08 (1st District 1805-07, at-large 1807-08) 15
Elias Darby, American politician, Mayor of Elizabethtown, New Jersey, 1853-55; Mayor of Elizabeth, New Jersey, 1855-60 15
Drew Darby, American Republican politician, Member of Texas State House of Representatives 72nd District; Elected 2006, 2008; Elected unopposed 2010, 2012 15
Bertram M. Darby, American Republican politician, Chair of Cape May County Republican Party, 1945 15
... (Another 37 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Darby family +

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Stanley Maurice Darby (1916-1941), Australian Able Seaman from Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 16

HMS Hood

Mr. Leonard Darby (b. 1922), English Ordinary Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Rotherham, Yorkshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 17

The Darby 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: Honor probataque virtus
Motto Translation: Honour and approved valour.

Sources +

O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
Matheson, Robert E., Special Report on Surnames in Ireland with Notes as to Numeric Strength, Derivation, Ethnology, and Distribution. Dublin: Alexander Thom & Co., 1894. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1823
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 151 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1823
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/captain-cook
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
William Darby. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) William Darby. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Orlando_Darby
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
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