Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Derry” come from?

Derry derives from Old Irish daire, from Proto-Celtic daru, from Proto-Indo-European dóru, meaning tree or wood.

Ancestry of “Derry”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Irishdóireburner
2Old Irishdaíre—
3Old Irishdáirbulling, heat
4Old Irishdaur—
5Proto-Celticdaruoak
6Proto-Indo-Europeandórutree
7Proto-Indo-Europeandrew-hard, firm, strong, solid; hard, fast; tree
Every word from Proto-Indo-European drew- →