Show ContentsDobyns History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Dobyns is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Dobyns family lived in Staffordshire. This family was originally from St. Aubin, Normandy, and it is from the local form of this place-name, D'Aubin, which literally translates as from Aubin, that their surname derives. [1]

Some sources notes note that the name is a diminutive of Dobb, which itself is a pet diminutive of Robert. [2] [3]

Early Origins of the Dobyns family

The surname Dobyns was first found in Staffordshire as a forename, Dobin de Hatton who was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1203. A few years later, Dobin Cusin was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Devon in 1221. The first record of the name as a surname was Hugo and Robert Dobin who were listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Herefordshire in 1207 and later in the Assize Rolls for Berkshire in 1227. [4]

Hugo Dobin was recorded in the Rotuli de Oblatis et Finibus, King John. [5]

Early History of the Dobyns family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dobyns research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1539, 1641, 1674 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Dobyns History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dobyns Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Dobyns, Dobbins, Dobbings, Dobyn, Dobbin, Dobbyn and many more.

Early Notables of the Dobyns family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dobyns Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Dobyns family to Ireland

Some of the Dobyns family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 123 words (9 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 Dobyns family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Dobyns name or one of its variants: George Dobbins who settled in Nevis in 1663; Richard Dobbins settled in Virginia in 1651; Robert Dobbin settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1821.


Contemporary Notables of the name Dobyns (post 1700) +

  • Lloyd Allen Dobyns Jr. (1936-2021), American news reporter and correspondent who worked for NBC from 1969 to 1986, hosting Weekend, NBC News Overnight, and Monitor
  • Stephen Dobyns (b. 1941), American poet and novelist born in Orange, New Jersey, and residing in Boston
  • George H. Dobyns, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 1868, 1872 [6]
  • Mrs. Fletcher Dobyns, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1920 [6]
  • Fletcher Dobyns, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for U.S. Representative from Illinois 9th District, 1918 [6]
  • William B Dobyns MD, Ph.D., Professor of Human Genetics, Neurology, and Pediatrics, Medical Director of Human Genetics, University of Chicago Hospitals


The Dobyns Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Re e merito
Motto Translation: This through merit.


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  3. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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