Delaney

D2E1L1A1N1E1Y4
UK/dɪˈleɪni/

proper noun

A surname from Old French.

OriginOld French del ← Irish Ó Dubhshláine →
Less commonScrabble 11
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Meanings

proper noun

alternative Dulaney

  1. A surname from Old French.
  2. A female given name transferred from the surname, of modern usage.
  3. A male given name.
  4. An unincorporated community in Madison County, Arkansas, United States.
  5. An unincorporated community in Wood County, West Virginia, United States.

Origin

  1. IrishÓ Dubhshláine
  2. Old Frenchdel
  3. EnglishDelaney

From a Norman baronial surname, from a place in France, Old French del aunaie (“from the alder grove”). In Ireland an anglicization of Irish Ó Dubhshláine (descendant of Black (dubh) + Challenge (slán)).

More words from Old French, Irish

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Delaney. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Delaney

MLA

“Delaney.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Delaney. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Delaney,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Delaney.

Source: Delaney on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.