An Irish surname, Doherty which came from the Gaelic term of ‘dochartaigh’ which meant cruel and harmful. The spelling variations for Doherty include Doherety, Docherty, MacDevitt, Dockharty, Dockeray, Dougherty, Dogherty and Dohertey. In Ireland, most with the Doherty name settled in the Insihowen peninsula in County Donegal. In the County of Derry the surname is very popular. In England most with the Doherty name live in Yorkshire and Lancashire counties. The Scottish counties of Lanarkshire, Midlothian and Renfrewshire have the primarily population of Doherty families. Within the United States the Doherty name is located mostly in the northeast region around New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Famous: Reginald ‘Reggie’ Doherty (a 19th century champion tennis player from England), Denny Doherty (a member of the singing group ‘Mamas and Papas’), Shannen M. Doherty (actress and producer in television), Ken Doherty (a professional snooker player from Ireland) and John K. Doherty (a champion Olympic decathlete).