This interesting surname of Irish origin with variant spellings Donaghie, Donagy, Donaghey, Denaghy, etc., is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic "Mac Donnchaidh" meaning "son of Donnchadh", a personal name composed of the elements "donn", "brown" plus "cath" meaning "battle". The Ulster surname Donaghy is found mainly in Counties Tyrone and Derry. The first recording of the name dates back to the late 18th Century (see below). Church recordings include one Anne, daughter of John and Margaret Donaghy, who was christened on October 23rd 1803 in Donaghmore, County Tyrone. Betty Donaghy who married John McCarley in 1829 in the Diocese of Down and Connor and Dromore in the Ulster Province, and Barbara, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Donaghy who was christened on July 31st 1840 at St. Anne's, Shankill, Belfast. One Michael Donaghy (aged 26 yrs.,), a famine emigrant, sailed from Liverpool aboard the John-Baring bound for New York on April 8th 1846. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Nathaniel Doneghy witnessed the christening of his daughter Ann, which was dated 1798, in Donaghmore, County Tyrone, during the reign of King George 111, known as "Farmer George", 1760 - 1820. 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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