the name dardilly may originate from the gallo-roman name dardiliacus, if the town was founded in that period, but there is no historic proof for this hypothesis, although the remains of an aqueduct built by claudius to bring the waters of the brévenne river (a tributary of the azergues, itself a tributary of the saône) to lyon have been found nearby. more likely, the name dardilly originated at the time of its first surviving mention, in the 10th century cartulary of ainay abbey, which possessed several lands here.