O'Daly Family Crest & Name History

People called O'Daly share their surname's story with Daly, of which it is a variant. Read literally, O'Daly points to “Descendant of Dálach, linked to "assembly”.

How the spelling arose

The O' in front of the name is a particle that was often added to Daly on registers. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists. Related forms: Daley, Dawley and Ó Dálaigh.

Arms associated with the name

A coat of arms belongs to a particular family line rather than to everyone named O'Daly, so the heraldry linked to Daly is a starting point, not an automatic right.

Want more than a summary? See the O'Daly family name pack.