Darcy Family History

English (Lancashire) and Irish: of Norman origin a habitational name from Arcy in Manche France with fused preposition d(e) ‘from’. Irish: in Ireland this is generally the Norman name established in Meath by Sir William D'Arcy in the 1360s.

However, it was also adopted for Ó Dorchaidhe ‘descendant of the dark one’ from dorcha ‘dark gloomy’. This was a Connacht name that fell together with the Norman surname.

The Norman surname was introduced by Sir William D'Arcy and Sir John D'Arcy, Chief Justiciar of Ireland in the 14th century.