First found in Devon where they were anciently seated as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1240 when William de Dotton held estates in that shire.

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Edward Dotten, who came to Plymouth, MA in 1620; Mary Dotton, who settled in Virginia in 1665; Wm. Dottin, who was on record in Barbados in 1679; as well as Thomas Dotton, who arrived in Quebec in 1821..

For more information on the last name Doten, the PDF Surname History is available for purchase as well as other products.