Doherty - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Dochartaigh
Meaning: “obstructive, hurtful”
Traditional stronghold: Derry, Donegal
Pronunciation: DOH-hur-tee or doh-HER-tee; Irish O Dochartaigh: oh DOKH-ur-tee
History of the Doherty name
The O'Dohertys were lords of Inishowen in County Donegal, a peninsula they controlled from the 14th century as vassals, and later rivals, of the O'Donnells. Cahir O'Doherty led a famous rebellion against the crown in 1608, burning Derry, which ended in his death and the confiscation of the clan's lands during the Plantation of Ulster. Despite this the family remained numerous in Donegal and Derry, and the surname is today one of the most common in Ulster, particularly Donegal, Derry and Tyrone. It anglicised into a wide range of spellings, and emigration, especially to Scotland and North America, carried the name well beyond Ireland.
Variants: O'Doherty · Dougherty · Docherty · Daugherty
Famous bearers of the name
- Kenneth Doherty - Irish snooker player, 1997 World Champion
- Pete Doherty - English musician of Irish descent, frontman of The Libertines
- Moya Doherty - Irish television producer, co-creator of Riverdance
- Ken Doherty - see above; also John Doherty, Donegal fiddler and tradition bearer
Related names from the same part of Ireland: O'Connor · Gallagher · Boyle · Sweeney · O'Donnell · Duffy · McLoughlin · Mooney