This interesting and unusual name is of Irish origin and is found generally in Counties Cork and Galway, the name being one of the smaller septs of Corca Laoidhe, now almost extinct, and the East Galway, Ui Maine sept, whose original territory lay between Lough Rea and the Shannon. However, from the 16th Century onwards they were generally established in County Offaly. Doorly, or Doorley, is the Anglicization of the Gaelic O'Dubhurthuille, meaning a descendant of Dubhurla, a personal name of unknown etymology, but with the first element 'dubh', meaning black. Amongst the sample recordings in Ireland are the births of Daniel Doorly, the son of John Doorly and Ellen Duffy on January 25th 1865 in Westmeath, and of John Doorly, the son of John Doorly and Anne Beaty on July 1st 1866 at Athleague, Galway. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas Doorly, christening, which was dated March 27th 1862, St. Mary's, Marylebone, London, during the reign of Queen Victoria, 'The Great White Queen', 1837-1901. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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