Dolphin Family History
Dolphin Name Meaning
English: from the Middle English personal name Dolfin apparently from an Anglo-Scandinavian formation Dólgfinnr (possibly from Old Norse dolgr dólgr ‘mortal enemy’ + the ethnic name Finnr) but there is disagreement about whether or not this might be a Scandinavianized form of Old French Delfin (from Latin Delphinus from the word meaning ‘dolphin’). The surname was taken to Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion in the 12th century and the original bearers of the name settled in County Galway. The family became bilingual and the name has sometimes been Gaelicized as Doilfin.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022