The Buckley Coat of Arms and Name Meaning
Discover the meaning of Buckley, its origins in Ireland, and the story behind a Buckley family crest.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Buckley coat of arms for you.
Origin of the Buckley name
In Ireland, Buckley is the English form of Ó Buachalla, "descendant of Buachaill", a byname meaning "boy" or "herdsman". The two names sounded alike, so the English place-name surname Buckley was adopted for the Gaelic one. The sept belonged to the south, and Buckley is now one of the most frequent surnames in County Cork, with many bearers in neighbouring Kerry and Limerick.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Buckley name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Buckley name in Ireland. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, England and Australia; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Buckley family history
The complete Buckley pack goes much further: documented origins, early records and family spread, plus a hand-checked coat of arms.
Buckley name FAQ
What does the Buckley name mean?
Descendant of Buachaill ("herdsman"). Common variants include O'Buckley, Buckly, Bulkeley.
Where does the Buckley surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, England and Australia.
Is there a Buckley coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Buckley crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Buckley coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).