Show ContentsDoke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Doke is of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was name for a person who behaved in a regal or noble manner, like a Duke. The surname Doke is derived from the various Old English words duc, duk, duke, douc, and doke, which all came from the Old French word duc. This ultimately came from the Latin word dux, which means leader, and is a derivative of the verb ducere, which means to lead. Undoubtedly, this was often a nickname, since many captains or leaders of military forces were titled landholders who would have derived their surnames from their estates. Nevertheless, it may have also been applied as an occupational name to a military leader or to someone employed in a ducal household.

Early Origins of the Doke family

The surname Doke was first found in Devon having descended from Osmond le Duc, Alexander and Robert le Duke who were listed in the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae 1180-98. [1] Roger le Duke was Lord Mayor of London from 1227 to 1230.

"Duke was the name of an old influential Sussex family dating back to the reign of Henry VI.. There are also a few of the name in Dorset. Duke is also a widely - spread name amongst the gentry of the south of England, many of the families being connected and bearing the same arms. From the Dukes of Power Hayes and Otterton, Devon, sprang the Dukes of Wiltshire. " [2]

The Duke baronets are now both extinct but Sir Edward Duke, 1st Baronet (c.1604-1670) was the first Duke of Benhall, Suffolk (1661) and Sir James Duke, 1st Baronet (1792-1873), was Duke of London (1849.)

Early History of the Doke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Doke research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1563, 1590, 1604, 1632, 1640, 1658, 1670, 1671, 1679, 1705, 1711 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Doke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Doke Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Doke have been found, including Duke, Dukes, Dook, Dooke, Dooks, Dookes and others.

Early Notables of the Doke family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Edward Duke, 1st Baronet (c.1604-1671), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England in 1640; and his son, Sir John Duke, 2nd Baronet (1632-1705), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Orford in 1679; and Edmund Duke (1563-1590), English Roman Catholic priest and martyr who was found in the presence of Richard...
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Doke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Doke family to Ireland

Some of the Doke family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Doke migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become powerful new nations. Among early immigrants of the Doke surname to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were:

Doke Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Robert Doke, who landed in New England in 1719 [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Doke (post 1700) +

  • Betty Doke, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1988


  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. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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