Show ContentsDoak History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The tale of the name Doak begins with a family who lived in the Kilmadok district of Scotland. The Scottish Doak surname is derived from the Gaelic Mac Gille Doig, which means "son of the servant of St. Cadog." The personal name Cadog was Welsh, and has no connection to the name of the animal.

Early Origins of the Doak family

The surname Doak was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where they held a family seat from early times.

Early History of the Doak family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Doak research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1372, 1491, 1502 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Doak History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Doak Spelling Variations

Before the first dictionaries appeared in the last few hundred years, scribes spelled according to sound. spelling variations are common among Scottish names. Doak has been spelled Doig, Dog, Doeg, Doige, Doag, Doak, Doake, Doack and others.

Early Notables of the Doak family

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

Doak Ranking

In the United States, the name Doak is the 7,490th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [1]

Ireland Migration of the Doak family to Ireland

Some of the Doak family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Doak migration to the United States +

In those unstable times, many had no choice but to leave their beloved homelands. Sickness and poverty hounded travelers to North America, but those who made it were welcomed with land and opportunity. These settlers gave the young nations of Canada and the United States a strong backbone as they stood up for their beliefs as United Empire Loyalists and in the American War of Independence. In this century, the ancestors of these brave Scots have begun to recover their illustrious heritage through Clan societies and other heritage organizations. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Scottish settlers bearing the name Doak:

Doak Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Robert Doak, who arrived in New England in 1719 [2]
Doak Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Samuel Doak, who landed in America in 1804 [2]
  • David Doak, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 [2]
  • Margaret Doak, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 [2]
  • Michael Doak, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 [2]
  • John Doak, who arrived in America in 1848 [2]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Doak migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Doak Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Doak, (b. 1830), aged 32, Irish farm labourer from County Down travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862 [3]
  • Miss Mary Doak, (b. 1858), aged 20, Irish general servant from Armagh departing on 10th August 1878 aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 9th November 1878

Contemporary Notables of the name Doak (post 1700) +

  • William N. Doak (1882-1933), American labor leader, United States Secretary of Labor (1930 to 1933)
  • Tom Doak, American golf course architect
  • Sloan Doak (1886-1965), American equestrian who competed at the 1920 Summer Olympics
  • Samuel Doak (1749-1830), American Presbyterian clergyman and educator
  • Charles "Chick" Doak, American baseball coach
  • Bill Doak (1891-1954), American Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Matthew Doak, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 2012 [4]
  • L. R. Doak, American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Doddridge County, 1927-28 [4]
  • J. K. Doak, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1880 [4]
  • Betty Doak, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Mexico, 1960 [4]
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Hood
  • Mr. Walter W Doak (b. 1910), English Petty Officer serving for the Royal Navy from Surbiton, Surrey, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking [5]
North Sea Flood
  • A. Doak, British traveler aboard the ferry "Princess Victoria" who survived the North Sea Flood, a major storm surge in 1953


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  5. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm


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