Dulaney
An Irish surname most often understood as a form of Delaney, ultimately meaning “descendant of the servant of Saint Laighneach.”
The #6,210 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 56,064 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Dulaney is usually treated as an Anglicized spelling of the Irish surname Delaney, from Gaelic Ó Dubhshláine or, in some traditions, Ó Dúláin. The name is commonly explained as meaning “descendant of the servant/devotee of Laighneach” or a related personal name, though older sources do not always agree on the exact Gaelic original. In English records the spelling shifted freely, producing forms such as Dulaney, Delany, and Delaney.
History
The name is of Irish origin and became established in English-language records through migration and administrative spelling variation. In North America, Dulaney is one of several Anglicized forms that developed alongside Delaney and Delany. The surname is found in Irish-American communities and elsewhere in the English-speaking world.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Irish surnames were often recorded by ear, a single family line could end up with several spellings in different records, including Dulaney and Delaney.