The English surname D'Arcy is local in its origin, being one of those surnames derived from the place where a man once lived or where he once held land. In this case, the name refers to the town of Arcy in La Manche in Normandy, a northern provence in France. Thus, the original bearer of the name was a native of this area and was simply know as "D'Arcy" - "from Arcy". It was a common practice in the middle ages to associate a man with the name of the town from which he hailed, and to use this place name in referring to him. Hereditary, family surnames as we know them today did not exist at that time.

Early records of the name in England date back to the eleventh century. One Norman de Adreci is recorded in the Doomsday Book in 1086. The local origins of the name can clearly be seen from this early example of the name. Thomas D'Arcy is mentioned in the "Transcripts of Charters relating to the Gilbertine Houses" of Lincolnshire.

The name was introduced into the United States of America by English and French settlers, but remains a relatively uncommon name in that country. One notable bearer of this name was Count Patrick D'Arcy, a native of Ireland, who had a distinguished career in the French army and was a well-known engineer and mathematician.