Darragh

Name Meaning - Darragh, Darrough

\n\nThe 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.\n\nThere are a number of different proposed meanings of the name, including. \n• 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. \n• 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. \n• 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. \n• Another potential gaelic meaning is "fruitful" or "flame, fire"\n\nThere 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.\n\nIrrespective 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 \nJohn Dorrough owner 68 acres at Milford, Co. Donegal \nMatthew Dorrough owner 89 acres at Drumshambo, Co. Leitrim \nStephen Dorrough owner 77 acres at Longford \nPatrick Dorrough owner 55 acres at Omagh, Co. Tyrone\n\nThe Tithe Aplotment list (tenants who had to pay church tithes) includes: \nMichael Dorrough owner 122 acres at Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, in 1730 \nJames Dorrough owner 38 acres at Navan, Co. Meath \nThomas Dorrough 43 acres at Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, in 1780\n\nIn the 1800\'s Coyne\'s "Distribution of Irish Families" shows Dorrough families in Co. Antrim, Cork, Down, Tipperary, Dublin, Donegal and Belfast.\n\nScots Origin \nThis 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".\n\nThe 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.\n\nIn 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.\n\nOf 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.\n\nIrish Origin \nDarragh 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).\n\nAn examination of Irish parish registers shows synonyms of the name as: O\'Dorry, O\'Durry, Dorroy, Dorr, Duff, Durrough, Dorrough, Muldarry, Muldeffy, Meelderry.\n\nThe 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. ',557205,2),(786562,