Origin: |
Darcy is an English surname, adopted as a first name. It was brought over by the Normans in the form de Areci or d'Arcy -- a locational surname from Arcy in La Manche in Normandy. The origins are uncertain. One theory is that it derives from the Latin Arsacum: ars "bear" and acum "settlement," but this is unsubstantiated. In Ireland, Darcy is used as an Anglicised form of Gaelic surname Ó Dorchaidhe meaning "descendant of Dorchaidhe," itself derived from dorcha "dark," most likely originally used to describe someone with dark hair or features. |
Usage: |
It is believed that Norman de Areci was one of the Norman barons who fought with William the Conqueror in the Battle of Hastings in 1066. In some genealogies he is traced as being the son of William (Pontius) of Normandy, son of Richard II, Duke of Normandy. This would have made Norman and William first cousins. What we do know for certain is that Norman de Areci had been granted over thirty manors in Lincolnshire by the 1086 Domesday Book as well as the wealthy Abbey of St Mary in York. Every other early record for the surname in England up until the 14th century also comes from Lincolnshire, indicating that they are all members this same aristocratic family. In the 14th century, some of the Darcy family were appointed to senior positions in Ireland and the name went with them. There it was used to render the already established clan name Ó Dorchaidhe. The fact that Darcy was an aristocratic surname is one of the reasons why it was adopted as a given name from the 17th century. The names of Peerage families (such as Percy, Howard, Dudley, Montague, Neville, Stanley) were often adopted within the nobility itself. Sons were often given family surnames as given names as a way of passing on more than one illustrious name and advertising their aristocratic links. Eventually, they were adopted more widely, as middle class families wanted a name which sounded aristocratic. Research suggests that those with surname Darcy today (and others descended from Norman nobilty) are more likely to be wealthier than those with artisanal surnames, giving the name a continuing upper-class edge. The epitome of this is Jane Austen's dashing literary hero, Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy (often referred to, as was convention, simply as "Darcy"), in her most famous novel Pride and Prejudice (1813). As a first name, Darcy (in various spellings) was consistently used across the 19th and 20th century with an average of 10 births per year. Though it was originally masculine in use, it began to be used for girls as well from the late 19th century. The 1881 census, for example, listed 122 people with the name Darcy. Of those, 108 were male and 14 were female. Change to the name's fortune occurred during the 1990s, partly thanks to the BBC's fabulous adaptation of Pride and Prejudice in which Colin Firth charmed audiences as Mr Darcy, and the fame of ballerina Darcey Bussell. Girls:
By 2008, all three spellings were in the top 200. Darcey broke the top 100 first at #89 in 2012, while the other two spellings followed closely at #107 and #122 respectively. In 2014, all three spellings were in the top 100: When all of the variant spellings are added together, the name actually ranked at #25 in England and Wales in 2014. Making it far more popular than it seems. Boys: Interestingly, despite rising rapidly for girls, Darcy has also been in use for boys, actually reaching a peak in 2014 at #650 (52 births). This may be thanks to Canadian illusionist Darcy Oake appearing on Britain's Got Talent as a finalist in 2014. |
Famous Bearers: |
History: * Henry Darcy (1803–1858), French scientist who made several important contributions to hydraulics and hydrogeology and for whom the unit of permeability is named. Contemporary: * Darci Kistler (born 1964), American ballet dancer. Literature and Other Media: * Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, hero of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice (1813). |
Variants: |
Darcey, Darcie, Darci |
Pronunciation: |
DAR-see [key] |
Possible diminutives: |
Didi, Dars |
Sibling Names: |
Layla Maya Sienna Freya Mila Ruby |
Name Lists: |
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Thanks to Darci for requesting this name.