Surname Deffely - Meaning and Origin

Deffely: What does the surname Deffely mean?

The last name Deffely is of Irish origin. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Ó Deaghaile", which translates literally to "descendant of Deaghaile". The Gaelic personal name "Deaghaile" was comprised of two elements: "deagh", meaning "good", and "gal", meaning "valour".

As a surname, it was likely taken on by individuals who sought to distinguish themselves from their own clan or other clans with whom they interacted. This is what is known as a patronymic surname, meaning an individual's surname is derived from an ancestor's personal name. In this case, it would have been an ancestor who was known as having both good character and strong courage.

The Deffely surname is most commonly found in Counties Down and Antrim in Northern Ireland. It is believed to have first been recorded by Bishop Launcelot Partridge in 1544. By 1848, Irish immigrants bearing the Deffely surname had already begun to spread out to many other parts of the world.

Today, the Deffely family name is still fairly common. It is found in various spellings across the world, from Australia to the United States. Although the precise meaning is now starting to be overlooked, the legacy of the original Deaghaile is still alive in the memory and character of those with this unique surname.

Deffely: Where does the name Deffely come from?

The surname Deffely is an Irish patronymic surname, derived from the Gaelic Irish name O Duibhghaill. This surname was commonly found in County Sligo and County Mayo. Deffely is also found in several other parts of Ireland, especially in the counties of Galway, Kildare, Meath, Monaghan and Cavan.

Today, the surname Deffely is mainly found in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is also found sporadically in the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

The most dense population of Deffely descendants is found in the Republic of Ireland with the highest density in County Mayo. Other counties with significant numbers of Deffely descendants include Galway, Wicklow, Kildare, Meath, Monaghan and Cavan.

In Northern Ireland, the surname Deffely is concentrated mainly in County Antrim and County Down. Many descendants of the Deffely name can also be found in Belfast and other areas of Northern Ireland.

In the United States, the majority of the current Deffely population is concentrated in the cities of Chicago and New York. There are also significant populations of Deffely families found in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and California.

In the UK, the surname Deffely is mainly found in London, Glasgow and Liverpool. Many Deffely descendants can also be found in the other regions of England, Scotland and Wales.

In Canada, the current population of Deffely descendants is concentrated mainly in Ontario and Quebec. There are also significant populations of Deffely families in Alberta and British Columbia.

In Australia, the surname Deffely is mainly found in the cities of Syndey, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

These days, the surname Deffely is an increasingly rare Irish surname, and is found in many countries throughout the world. Some of the most populous countries with significant populations of this surname include Ireland, the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Variations of the surname Deffely

The surname "Deffely" is thought to have Irish origins, and is found in the form of Duffley, Defley, Duffly, Deffly and Deffley. A more common variant is Duffy, which is the more widely known form of the surname.

This surname is derived from the given name "Ó Dubhghaill", which is composed of two elements: "dubh," meaning "black," and "gall," which means “stranger” or “foreigner.” The earliest known bearer of the name is Muircheartach, the head of Clan Ó Dubhghaill from the 10th century AD.

The surname "Duffy," which is the most widespread spelling of the name, is derived from the Gaelic Ó Dubhghaill, which translates to "son of the foreign man," suggesting that a Viking origin is possible. Other spellings of the surname include Duffie, Duffey, Duffee and Duffel.

The surname is found primarily in Ireland, Scotland, and England, though there are a few cases of the name being found in other parts of the world. There are also other surnames derived from the same root, including Duffin, Duffy, Duffield, Dufish and Duffus.

The most common form of the Deffely surname is Duffey. This spellings is seen on many records, documents and family trees. While Duffley and Defley are not as common they can still be found, and Deffly and Deffley are rarely seen. The variations of the surname are a testament to the movement of family members across countries and continents and the modifying of spellings to better fit local languages.

Famous people with the name Deffely

• Ireland Baldwin: an American model and actress.
• Mary Deffley: an Irish nun and teacher.
• Joe Deffley: an American actor and television personality.
• Robin Deffley: a Canadian journalist, literary critic, and author.
• Patrick Deffley: an Irish rugby union player.
• John Deffley: an American engineer who coaxed sound from film and later television.
• William Deffley: a prominent American corporate executive and philanthropist.
• Ben Deffley: a British chef and restaurateur.
• Hillary Deffley: an American environmental health professor.
• Robert Deffley: a British music educator and musician.
• Katherine Deffley: an American expert on public policy and international law.
• Robert Deffley: an American business entrepreneur and investor.
• Ruth Deffley: an Australian medical research scientist.
• Alan Deffley: an American composer and musician.
• David Deffley: an Irish dramatist and fiction writer.
• Sandra Deffley: a British singer-songwriter and composer.
• May Deffley: an English artist and sculptor.
• Alan Deffley: a singer and songwriter from Scotland.
• John Deffley: an American attorney and entrepreneur.
• Anne Deffley: a French World War II resistance fighter.

Other surnames

Deffenbaugh