|
Darrough
The surname
Darrough is Gaelic in origin, depending upon which definition of
the name you choose, it could be either patronymic,
nickname or locality
based. The pronunciation of the name however is consistently "dare'
uh", with a strong accent on the first syllable and a weak sluffing
off on the second. Variations and derivations of the name include
Darra, Daragh Darragh, Dorrock, Dorrah, Dorrough, MacDara, MacDarh
or MacDargh, O’ Dara, O’ Darra, O’ Darah, O’ Daragh, O’ Dubhdarah,
and O’ Dubhdagh.
There are a
number of different proposed meanings of the name, including.
| • |
|
Originating
from the Celtic/Gaelic word MacDubhdara meaning "son of
the one of black oak" derived from the word "dair" meaning
oak. The first syllable of the name is invariably DARR, pronounced
"dare", pertaining to an ancestor who may have distinguished
himself with an oak staff. |
| • |
|
Mac
Gillie Riabhaich, a Celtic expression meaning "son of the frecked
man". This is a group of names including MacIleriach and MacIlwraith,
who were bards to the Clan Donald. It is uncertain how this
became Darragh, but Thomas Innees (a famous researcher) maintains
that it is a potential origin. |
| • |
|
Man
of Dura, the ancient name for Jura. Rev. Donald Budge, in his
book "Jura, an Island of Argyll," says that Darroch is from
"durach", a name given to islanders visiting or living in other
locations. |
| • |
|
Another
potential gaelic meaning is "fruitful" or "flame, fire" |
There is much
discussion of the origins of the name, however there are two main
theories - one that the name comes from Scotland
and emigrated to Ireland either with remnants of Clan MacDonald
or during the plantation period. The second is that the name existed
in Ireland prior to either of these events
and can be traced back to circa 1000 BC.
Irrespective
of how they got there by the 1700s, the name Darragh and its variants
were primarily Irish. The Down Survey Maps (a Cromwellian census)
includes
| John
Dorrough |
owner
68 acres at Milford, Co. Donegal |
| Matthew
Dorrough |
owner
89 acres at Drumshambo, Co. Leitrim |
| Stephen
Dorrough |
owner
77 acres at Longford |
| Patrick
Dorrough |
owner
55 acres at Omagh, Co. Tyrone |
The Tithe Aplotment
list (tenants who had to pay church tithes) includes:
| Michael
Dorrough |
owner
122 acres at Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, in 1730 |
| James
Dorrough |
owner
38 acres at Navan, Co. Meath |
| Thomas
Dorrough |
43
acres at Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, in 1780 |
In the 1800's
Coyne's "Distribution of Irish Families" shows Dorrough
families in Co. Antrim, Cork, Down, Tipperary, Dublin, Donegal and
Belfast.
Scots Origin
This
theory is based on suppostion that the original form was almost
certainly "Darroch", and it originated in Scotland, particularly
on the islands of Islay and Jura. In
his book, "The Clans, Septs, and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands,"
Sir Thomas Innes states that "The Darrochs are offically reckoned
a clan of their own." However, there are no clan tartan, crest or
badge on record. The family is usually accepted as a sept of the
Clan Donald, and may have grown larger during the era when the Campbells
ruled Argyll, and it was not safe to be called "MacDonald".
The name was
first found in Stirlingshire in Scotland but their first official
records were comparatively recent in the year 1406. The
movement of the family to Ireland is still open to debate. It is
contended that it occured as part of the plantation period of the
1660s in Northern Ireland. However there are those who argue that
the term Scotch-Irish does not apply to the McDonald Clan because
the clan was in Ireland long before the plantations.English land
records for the plantations do list "Native Irish"who were given
land. Among this list were the MacDonalds. This list also contains
Irish with variations of the name Dorough assigned land.The name
Dorough in Ireland has long been chiefly associated with county
Antrim and Down.
In Ireland (Mac)
Darragh has been known to be anglicised as Oakes by translation
of dair, oak. In 1659 MacDarragh was among the twenty most numerous
surnames in the barony of Glencarne, Co. Antrim.
Of the Darragh
who stayed in Scotland, the family was assumed in the 17th century
by a branch of the MacIlwraiths of Rosshire. The in 1794 the Lord
Lyon King of Arms officially registered "Duncan Darroch of Gourock,
chief of this ancient name, the patronymic of which is MacIliriach"
showing that Iliriach was the progenitor of this sept.
Irish Origin
Darragh
is a commonly used first name in Ireland, that is currently undergoing
a revival. In irish gaelic is means "Oak Tree. Woulfe in his
research, stated that the name was in existance in Ireland long
before before the extensive immigration of Scots at the time of
the Plantation of Ulster, having been descended from
the original families which originated in the Co. Donegal area in
1050 A.D. and were Chiefs there until 1500 A.D. In this theory there
are two Gaelic forms of the name - O'Doraid,
from chief called DORAID, meaning 'strife,' and O'Maoldoraid (maol
meaning 'follower of Doraid).
|
An examination
of Irish parish registers shows synonyms of the name as: O'Dorry,
O'Durry, Dorroy, Dorr, Duff, Durrough, Dorrough, Muldarry,
Muldeffy, Meelderry.
The first
record of a Dorrough is of the Chief Colm O'Doraid who lived
in the Inishowen area and was called in 1090 A.D. by the O'Neill
clan. The next reference to the name is in the, "Annals of
the Four Masters" (an ancient Irish history) of 23 Dorrough/Doffough
Chiefs in the Donegal area between 1100-1250. After this we
find the Edru O'Doraid was Prior at Donegal Abbey in 1345.
In 1500 the English kings granted the ancient Dorrough lands
to settlers from England, and Dorrough branches dispersed
to other counties, though many remained as tenants.
|
Crest of
the Dorroughs in Australia |
|
