Derry
A surname with multiple likely origins, most often linked to Ireland and the place-name Derry or to Gaelic forms that were anglicized as Deery/Derry.
The #7,863 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 73,354 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Derry is chiefly a locational surname, often connected with the Irish place-name Derry, meaning an oak grove or oak wood from Gaelic doire. In some families it may also reflect an anglicized Irish surname such as Ó Dálaigh or other Gaelic forms recorded in older sources as Deery/Derry, so the name is not always from the same root. Because of that overlap, the surname can be either a place-based English form or an anglicized Irish family name depending on the line.
History
Historical sources show Derry occurring in Ireland and alongside other surnames recorded in counties such as Antrim and Derry, which fits a strong Ulster association. The name also appears as an anglicized spelling in Irish surname material, especially in forms like Deery and Derry. In some cases, bearers may descend from families who took the name from residence near a Derry place-name; in others, the spelling reflects an older Gaelic surname adapted into English records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The place-name Derry ultimately refers to an oak grove, making this one of the more tree-rooted surnames in Irish onomastics.
From the historical record
“" Names in p?-esent use. Antrim, Annaly, Ardagh, Augrhim, Banaher, Corballis, Corbally, Cork, Corrigans, Derry, Durrow, Dangan, Fingal, Femes, Gorey, Gowran, Golden, Kerry, Killery, Kenlis, Kells, Killarney, Killeen, Kyle, Limerick, Lusk, Longford, Meath, ]\Ionaghan, Meelick, Prehen, Sligo, Slane, Skryne, Tuyan…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom