Doherty is a an anglicised form of the Old Gaelic "Ó Dochartaigh", descendant of Dochartach. There are various interpretations of the derivation, but generally they come to a consensus that it means "hurtful". The various interpretations are:

• (a) a personal byname with the strange meaning of "hurtful, or injurious".


• (b) a byname from do + cartach ‘not loving’.


• (c) obstructive or hurtful.


• (d) from dochart, a difficulty or hardship, added to the personal suffix -ach; or dochar, hurt or mischief together with the suffix -tach.

The surname Doherty is found across Ireland, but the greatest numbers are concentrated in west Ulster, particularly in Derry and Inishowen. In fact the surname "Doherty" is the most common in Derry, and gives rise to the Derry expression "sure, your mother was a Doherty" - meaning "of course I can trust you"

In the fourth century the Dohertys settled around the Inishowen peninsula in Donegal. They were of the same stock as the O'Donnells of Tirconnell. By the fourteenth century the Ó Dochartaighs were the Lords of Inishowen, with their headquarters around Buncrana. The power of the O'Dohertys was lost following Sir Cahir O'Doherty's rebellion against the English in 1608, following which many of the chiefs fled Ireland.