surnames.ie

Irish surname · 16th most common in 1911

Doherty

Also spelt O'Doherty, Dougherty

Doherty is the English form of Ó Dochartaigh, 'descendant of Dochartach'. The O'Dohertys were a Donegal branch of the Cenél Conaill, of the same stock as the O'Donnells, and ruled the Inishowen peninsula from the early 1400s until Sir Cahir O'Doherty's rising in 1608 cost them their lands.

Irish Ó DochartaighIrish Ó DoicheartaighIrish Ó Dubhartaigh
1901 census
18,825
#17 · 43 per 10,000
1911 census
18,848
#16 · 43 per 10,000
1926 census
12,755
#24 · 43 per 10,000
Most numerous
Donegal
Highest share: Donegal

Language & meaning

Meaning & Irish forms

Gaelic Gaelic Irish: a sept of the Cenél Conaill of Donegal, part of the Northern Uí Néill.[1][2]

Ó Dochartaigh
“descendant of Dochartach”[1][3][4]
The source of almost all Dohertys, O'Dohertys and Doughertys. The feminine form is Ní Dhochartaigh.
Ó Doicheartaigh
“a variant of Ó Dochartaigh”[5]
Woulfe describes it as a softened form of Ó Dochartaigh, found here and there in Munster.
Ó Dubhartaigh
“descendant of Dubhartach”[6]
A separate south-west Cork name that Woulfe says was often disguised as Doherty in Munster.

The name is built on the personal name Dochartach, usually explained as “hurtful, disobliging”. Woulfe's gloss; Wiktionary gives 'unlucky, hurtful'. The O'Doherty family article dates the ancestor Dochartach to the 9th or 10th century.[1][4][2]

Pronunciation

Doherty: DOH-er-tee

Place

Where the Dohertys lived

How common the name was in each county, as a share of the population, in the three surviving full censuses of Ireland. Use the buttons to compare years.

Donegal: 470.8 per 10,000 (7,939 people) Waterford: 18.8 per 10,000 (155 people) Dublin: 13.3 per 10,000 (637 people) Kilkenny: 21.8 per 10,000 (164 people) Carlow: 7.4 per 10,000 (27 people) Limerick: 24.8 per 10,000 (356 people) Louth: 13.3 per 10,000 (84 people) Tipperary: 28.8 per 10,000 (439 people) Roscommon: 36.8 per 10,000 (346 people) Meath: 7.7 per 10,000 (50 people) Wicklow: 10.8 per 10,000 (66 people) Cavan: 5.4 per 10,000 (49 people) Cork: 7.9 per 10,000 (310 people) Clare: 26.7 per 10,000 (279 people) Galway: 9.1 per 10,000 (166 people) Mayo: 60.6 per 10,000 (1,165 people) Sligo: 26.4 per 10,000 (209 people) Leitrim: 38.7 per 10,000 (244 people) Offaly: 14.2 per 10,000 (81 people) Laois: 4.2 per 10,000 (23 people) Kildare: 4 per 10,000 (27 people) Kerry: 14.8 per 10,000 (237 people) Monaghan: 10.3 per 10,000 (74 people) Wexford: 6.4 per 10,000 (66 people) Longford: 38.8 per 10,000 (170 people) Westmeath: 12.1 per 10,000 (73 people) Tyrone: 54.3 per 10,000 (775 people) Antrim: 23.2 per 10,000 (1,108 people) Armagh: 4.7 per 10,000 (56 people) Fermanagh: 34.1 per 10,000 (207 people) Londonderry: 201.4 per 10,000 (2,815 people) Down: 14.7 per 10,000 (451 people)
fewerup to 473 per 10,000

Share of each county's census population. 1926 covers the 26 counties of the Irish Free State only.

Highest concentration · 1911

Donegal

471 per 10,000

7,939 Dohertys · 10.97× the national share

Highest share, 1911

  1. Donegal 471
  2. Londonderry 201
  3. Mayo 61
  4. Tyrone 54
  5. Longford 39
  6. Leitrim 39
  7. Roscommon 37
  8. Fermanagh 34

Per 10,000 residents. A concentration index above 1 means the name was commoner there than nationally.

County figures as a table
County190119111926Per 10k 1901Per 10k 1911Per 10k 1926
Antrim9561,108—2123—
Armagh6856—55—
Carlow232718675
Cavan364933454
Clare346279314312733
Cork281310289788
Donegal8,1837,9397,193473471471
Down354451—1215—
Dublin542637767121315
Fermanagh190207—2934—
Galway1461661628910
Kerry265237231161516
Kildare572743947
Kilkenny164164180222226
Laois272334547
Leitrim264244267383947
Limerick395356370272527
Londonderry2,7802,815—192201—
Longford162170149353938
Louth9184136141322
Mayo1,2241,1651,097626164
Meath4350746812
Monaghan757483101013
Offaly848164141412
Roscommon379346300383736
Sligo159209211202630
Tipperary437439348272925
Tyrone780775—5254—
Waterford151155174171922
Westmeath737385121215
Wexford476685569
Wicklow4366487118

Local strongholds in 1911

District Electoral Divisions (300+ residents) where Dohertys made up the largest share of the population. In Ballyliffin, Co. Donegal, about one resident in 3 was a Doherty.

DEDCountyDohertysShare
BallyliffinDonegal482 37.2%
ArdmalinDonegal543 31.1%
DunaffDonegal425 25.3%
StraidDonegal312 22.6%
CarndonaghDonegal432 22.3%
IlliesDonegal260 22.2%
GlenagannonDonegal143 21.0%
DesertegnyDonegal243 20.0%

Origins

Septs & territories

Many Irish surnames were adopted independently by unrelated families. These are the distinct Doherty lineages described in the sources.

A surname can point you towards a place. On its own, it cannot establish a pedigree.

Ó Dochartaigh of Inishowen

Cenél Éanna and Ard Miodhair (Ardmire) in the barony of Raphoe; later the peninsula of Inishowen · Donegal

A branch of the Cenél Conaill and kin of the O'Donnells, first chiefs of Cenél Éanna and Ard Miodhair. By the early 1400s they ruled Inishowen and ranked among the most powerful families in Tír Conaill. Their lands were confiscated after Sir Cahir O'Doherty's rising in 1608 and granted to Sir Arthur Chichester.[1][2][7]

Ó Dubhartaigh of Corca Laoighdhe

South-west Cork · Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary

An unrelated family of the Corca Laoighdhe. Woulfe says they had long been scattered through Munster, were numerous in Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Tipperary, and often passed under the name Doherty.[6]

The name over time

History

A branch of the Cenél Conaill

The O'Dohertys belonged to the Cenél Conaill, the kindred who dominated Tír Conaill (Donegal), and Woulfe places them in the same stock as the O'Donnells. They take their name from an ancestor called Dochartach, whom the O'Doherty family article dates to the 9th or 10th century. Like other Uí Néill families, they claimed descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages. Their earliest territory was Cenél Éanna together with Ard Miodhair, now Ardmire, in the barony of Raphoe, well to the south-west of the peninsula later linked with the name.[1][2][7]

Lords of Inishowen

In about the early 15th century the O'Dohertys became lords of Inishowen, Ireland's most northerly peninsula. The family article names Conor an Einigh O'Doherty (1359–1413) as the first to settle there, and Burke records Brian Dubh O'Doherty as lord of Inishowen in 1440. Castles connected with the family include Northburgh (Greencastle), the tower house at Buncrana known as O'Doherty's Keep, and Burt Castle, built around 1560–80. In 1541 Seán Mór O'Doherty submitted to Henry VIII under the surrender and regrant policy and was knighted as Sir John O'Doherty.[1][2][7][8]

Sir Cahir O'Doherty and 1608

Sir Cahir O'Doherty, born in 1587, inherited the lordship as a teenager and at first sided with the English, earning the nickname 'the Queen's O'Doherty' and a knighthood from Lord Mountjoy. Quarrels with Lord Deputy Chichester and Sir George Paulet, governor of Derry, turned him into a rebel. In 1608 he seized and burned Derry, and Paulet was killed. Within weeks the rising collapsed: Cahir was shot dead at Kilmacrennan on 5 July 1608, aged 21. His lands, roughly 170,000 acres, passed to Chichester, and Inishowen was opened to the Plantation of Ulster.[9][2][1]

After the fall

With the lordship gone, leading O'Dohertys looked abroad. Cahir's sister Rosa married first Cathbarr O'Donnell and then the general Owen Roe O'Neill. A branch settled in Spain, and Burke notes arms allowed in 1790 to brothers of the name living there, descendants of a younger son of Sir John O'Doherty. In 1990 Ramón Salvador O'Dogherty of Spain was installed in Derry as Chief of the Name, though the authority of such chiefships was later called into question. O'Doherty clan reunions have been held in Ireland every five years since 1985.[2][7]

Dohertys of Munster

Not every Doherty descends from the Inishowen family. Woulfe identified Ó Dubhartaigh as a separate family of the Corca Laoighdhe in south-west Cork, long dispersed through Munster and often recorded as Doherty. He also noted Ó Doicheartaigh, a softened form of the northern name, scattered across Munster. A Doherty family with roots in Cork, Kerry, Limerick or Tipperary may therefore have quite a different origin from one in Donegal or Derry.[6][5]

Places linked to the name

  • Inishowen (Inis Eoghain), Co. Donegal — The peninsula ruled by the O'Doherty lords from the early 15th century to 1608.[1][2]
  • Ardmire (Ard Miodhair), Co. Donegal — Part of the family's earliest territory, in the barony of Raphoe.[1][7]
  • Burt Castle, Co. Donegal — Ruined tower house built by the O'Dohertys around 1560–80, also called O'Doherty's Castle.[8][2]
  • Northburgh Castle, Greencastle, Co. Donegal — Earl of Ulster's castle completed in 1305, later held by the O'Dohertys.[2]
  • O'Doherty's Keep, Buncrana, Co. Donegal — Family tower house taken by the English in 1608.[2]
  • Kilmacrennan, Co. Donegal — Where Sir Cahir O'Doherty was killed on 5 July 1608.[9]

Everyday lives

The Dohertys in the census

Who the Dohertys were in the 1901 and 1911 censuses (and 1926 where recorded), set against everyone in Ireland in the same census.

Dohertys All of Ireland Ireland's figure marked on the Doherty bar

Religion, 1911

Catholic +18.5 points vs Ireland
Dohertys 92.1%
All of Ireland 73.6%
Church of Ireland −8.3 points vs Ireland
Dohertys 4.9%
All of Ireland 13.2%
Presbyterian −7.9 points vs Ireland
Dohertys 2.2%
All of Ireland 10.1%
Methodist & other −2.3 points vs Ireland
Dohertys 0.8%
All of Ireland 3.1%

Irish language

Spoke Irish, 1901 +6.8 points vs Ireland
Dohertys 22.1%
All of Ireland 15.3%
Spoke Irish, 1911 +5.9 points vs Ireland
Dohertys 19.4%
All of Ireland 13.5%
Spoke Irish, 1926 · 26 counties +3.4 points vs Ireland
Dohertys 16.9%
All of Ireland 13.5%

187 Dohertys spoke Irish only in 1901.

Reading & writing

Could read and write, 1901 · aged 15+ −11.6 points vs Ireland
Dohertys 68.8%
All of Ireland 80.4%
Could read and write, 1911 · aged 15+ −8.2 points vs Ireland
Dohertys 77.6%
All of Ireland 85.8%

Family life, 1911

Household size · 3,851 households higher than Ireland
Dohertys 4.89
All of Ireland 4.83
Children born per mother · women 45–59 higher than Ireland
Dohertys 7.02
All of Ireland 6.46
Children still living about the same as Ireland
Dohertys 80.2%
All of Ireland 79.8%

Commonest occupations

Adults aged 15+, 1901 and 1911 combined.

Farmer4,173
Farmer's son2,106
Seamstress1,180
Farmer's daughter816
Farm servant489
General labourer469
Agricultural labourer465
Labourer444
House keeper420
Farm labourer409

Born outside Ireland

5.7% of Dohertys in 1911 gave a birthplace outside Ireland.

England842
Scotland148
United States62
India5
Australia & NZ2
Wales1

Median age: 23 in 1901, 25 in 1911.

Given names

First names among the Dohertys

Men and boys

  1. John3,575
  2. Patrick2,676
  3. James2,585
  4. Michael1,601
  5. William1,222
  6. Thomas1,028
  7. Edward777
  8. Daniel722
  9. Hugh719
  10. Charles684

Women and girls

  1. Mary3,875
  2. Bridget2,105
  3. Ellen1,380
  4. Catherine1,157
  5. Annie1,145
  6. Margaret1,113
  7. Sarah913
  8. Maggie856
  9. Rose587
  10. Kate561

All three censuses combined. Top five in 1926: John, Patrick, James, Michael, Thomas; Mary, Bridget, Annie, Ellen, Margaret.

Spellings

Spellings

This page combines the spellings below, which census enumerators and families used for the same name.

Spelling190119111926Records
Doherty17,84117,59611,975Search
O'Doherty437635753Search
Dougherty54761727Search

Related forms

  • O'Doherty — The form that keeps the Ó prefix; Wikipedia treats it as the same name.[3][1]
  • Dougherty, Daugherty — Spellings common in North America; both derive from Ó Dochartaigh.[1][10]
  • Dogherty, O'Dogherty — Older spellings used in English records and by the branch in Spain.[1][7]
  • Deherty, Deharty — From Ó Doicheartaigh, the Munster form of the name.[5]
  • Doorty, Dooherty, Duarty — From Ó Dubhartaigh, a separate Cork family.[6]

Diaspora

The Dohertys abroad

Emigration carried the name worldwide. In the 2010 United States census:

SpellingPeopleUS rank
Doherty27,7871264th
O'Doherty85328065th
Dougherty37,884915th

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 surname file (public domain).

Heraldry

Is there a Doherty coat of arms?

Arms belonged to particular families, so there is no single crest for everyone named Doherty. Burke's General Armory records arms for the O'Dogherty sept of Inishowen: a red stag leaping on silver, with a green chief bearing three silver stars, and the motto 'Ar nDúthchas', which Burke translates 'For my inheritance' and Wikipedia 'Our heritage'. Burke records different arms for the branch of the family that settled in Spain.[7][2]

Websites selling a single “Doherty family crest” are selling a design, not an inheritance. Arms in Ireland belonged to individuals and their heirs, and the Chief Herald of Ireland still grants arms that way today.

People

Notable people named Doherty

  • Sir Cahir O'Doherty (1587–1608)
    Last Gaelic lord of Inishowen, who burned Derry in 1608 and died at Kilmacrennan.
  • Rosa O'Doherty (c. 1588–1660)
    Sister of Sir Cahir, later wife of the Confederate general Owen Roe O'Neill.
  • John Doherty (1798–1854)
    Buncrana-born trade unionist, radical and factory reformer who campaigned in England.
  • Kevin Izod O'Doherty (1823–1905)
    Young Irelander transported to Tasmania who became a Queensland politician and later a Home Rule MP.
  • Henry Latham Doherty (1870–1939)
    Irish-American financier who founded Cities Service, later Citgo.
  • Laurence Doherty (1875–1919)
    British tennis champion, double Olympic gold medallist in 1900 and US champion in 1903.
  • Peter Doherty (born 1940)
    Australian immunologist and Nobel laureate.
  • Kieran Doherty (1955–1981)
    Belfast republican hunger striker elected TD for Cavan–Monaghan in 1981.
  • Moya Doherty (born 1957)
    Donegal-born producer and co-founder of Riverdance.
  • Ken Doherty (born 1969)
    Dublin snooker player, world champion in 1997.
  • Shannen Doherty (1971–2024)
    American actress known for Beverly Hills, 90210 and Heathers.
  • Pearse Doherty (born 1977)
    Sinn Féin TD for Donegal.

Questions

Questions about the Doherty name

Is Doherty an Irish surname?

Yes. Doherty comes from the Gaelic Ó Dochartaigh and belongs above all to Donegal, where the O'Dohertys were lords of Inishowen for two centuries. Woulfe described them in 1923 as one of the most numerous Irish families. In Munster a separate name, Ó Dubhartaigh from south-west Cork, was also often written Doherty.[1][6]

What is Doherty in Irish?

Doherty in Irish is Ó Dochartaigh, meaning 'descendant of Dochartach'. A woman uses Ní Dhochartaigh. Woulfe also lists a softened Munster form, Ó Doicheartaigh. Some Munster Dohertys come instead from Ó Dubhartaigh, a separate Cork name that was often anglicised the same way.[1][4][5]

Are Doherty, O'Doherty and Dougherty the same name?

Yes, for the most part. Doherty, O'Doherty, Dougherty and Dogherty are all English spellings of Ó Dochartaigh. Dropping or keeping the O' was largely a matter of time and place, and Dougherty and Daugherty are especially common in North America. Some Munster Dohertys, though, descend from the unrelated Ó Dubhartaigh.[1][6][10]

What does Doherty mean?

The name comes from Dochartach, an early personal name. Woulfe glosses it as 'hurtful' or 'disobliging', and Wiktionary gives 'unlucky, hurtful'. Like many early Irish names, it says more about the ancestor's reputation or a nickname than about the later family.[1][4]

Is there an O'Doherty coat of arms or clan motto?

Burke's General Armory records arms for the O'Dogherty sept of Inishowen: a red stag leaping on silver, with a green band across the top bearing three silver stars. The motto given is 'Ar nDúthchas', translated 'For my inheritance' by Burke and 'Our heritage' by Wikipedia. These arms belonged to the chiefly family, not automatically to everyone named Doherty.[7][2]

Where is the Doherty family from?

The O'Dohertys came from Donegal. Their first territory lay around Ardmire in the barony of Raphoe, and from the early 15th century they ruled the Inishowen peninsula. After Sir Cahir O'Doherty's rising in 1608 their lands were confiscated, but the name remained very common in Donegal and Derry and spread widely through emigration.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Doherty surname most common?

In the 1911 census the largest numbers of Dohertys lived in Donegal (7,939), Londonderry (2,815), Mayo (1,165). Relative to population, the name was most concentrated in Donegal (471 per 10,000), Londonderry (201 per 10,000), Mayo (61 per 10,000).

How common was the Doherty surname in Ireland?

18,848 people were recorded as Doherty or O'Doherty or Dougherty in the 1911 census of Ireland, making it the 16th most common surname. That is roughly 0.4% of the population, or 1 person in 233.

Looking for a Doherty ancestor?

Search every Doherty household in the 1901, 1911 and 1926 censuses, with free images of the original forms.

Search records on irishcensus.com

Evidence

Sources

  1. Patrick Woulfe, Ó Dochartaigh, in Irish Names and Surnames (1923)
  2. Wikipedia, O'Doherty family (2026)
  3. Wikipedia, Doherty (surname) (2026)
  4. Wiktionary, Ó Dochartaigh (2026)
  5. Patrick Woulfe, Ó Doicheartaigh, in Irish Names and Surnames (1923)
  6. Patrick Woulfe, Ó Dubhartaigh, in Irish Names and Surnames (1923)
  7. Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales (1884). Entries 'O'Dogherty'.
  8. Wikipedia, Burt Castle (2026)
  9. Wikipedia, Cahir O'Doherty (2026)
  10. Wiktionary, Doherty (2026)
  11. Census of Ireland 1901 and 1911, and Census of Population 1926, National Archives of Ireland. Counts compiled by surnames.ie from the irishcensus.com transcription (dataset 20260831130351). 1926 data © National Archives of Ireland, CC BY 4.0.
  12. Irish forms cross-checked against Gaois surname data (Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge, DCU).

How we compile these figures: methodology.