Dobs Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The generations and branches of the Dobs family share a name that has its roots in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Dobs comes from Robert. Dobb was a diminutive of the name Robert in the Middle Ages; is has changed since then to the modern form Bob. 1

Early Origins of the Dobs family

The surname Dobs was first found in Lincolnshire where Dobbe filius Iuonis was listed there in the Assize Rolls of 1202. Dobbe le Deneby was listed in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219 and later, Reginald, William Dobbe was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed William Dobbe in Norfolka and Robert Dobes in Oxfordshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists Johanna Dobbewf (the wife of Dob), Isabella Dobson and more. 3

In the early years, the name was interchangeable with the name Robert and was very common in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire and Staffordshire. By example, "Dobbe de Witemore (1307 - Assize Rolls for Staffordshire) is identical with Robert de Whitemore (1318.) Richardus filius Dobbe was the same man as Richard Dobbe (1297.)" 2

Early History of the Dobs family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dobs research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1202, 1450, 1689, 1694, 1754 and 1765 are included under the topic Early Dobs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dobs Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Dobs include Dobbs, Dobb, Dobbe, Dobbes and others.

Early Notables of the Dobs family

More information is included under the topic Early Dobs Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dobs family to Ireland

Some of the Dobs family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 96 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dobs family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Dobs or a variant listed above: John and Samuel Dobbs who settled in Pennsylvania about the year 1750; James Dobbs settled in Maryland in 1741; William Dobbs settled in New York in 1822.

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)