First found in Norfolk where they were seated from early times.

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the Origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Dovey or a variant listed above: Benjamin and Richard Tovey settled in Barbados in 1679 with their servants; Nathanial and John Tovey settled in Virginia in 1663.

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