Dorval History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

This surname "occurs in many languages; but the only instance of it which I recollect in England is that of the monk, Willelmus cognomento Diabolus. The French De Ville, naturalized amongst us, has often been misunderstood to be the synonym of Satan, and various vowel changes have been made by the bearers of it to avoid this very objectionable notion. Hence it is commonly written Divall, Divoll, Devall, &c., while in records Devol, Devile, Deyvil, &c., are found." 1

One source notes: "they were from Deville or Davidville in Neufchatel in Normandy." 2 3

Early Origins of the Dorval family

The surname Dorval was first found in Sussex where "the first mention we meet with regarding the descendants of this knight is in the reign of henry I. when Nigel de Albini, being enfeoffed by the crown of the manor of Egmanton, Notts, conferred it upon Robert D'Eivill, who appears to have been ancestor of John D'Eivill, Governor of York Castle, a potent Baron of the time of Henry III., and one of the most active against the Royal Cause. " 4

Early English rolls provide us a glimpse of the spelling variations used through Medieval times. Robert de Durevill was listed in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1201; Hugh Durival was found in Eynsham, Oxfordshire in 1300; Sibill Doryual was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1332. 5

A search through the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 discovered early entries without the "D" prefix: Nicholas de Eyvill in Nottinghamshire; and John de Eyville also in Nottinghamshire. 6

Early History of the Dorval family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dorval research. Another 195 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1107, 1577, 1603, 1650, 1662, 1683, 1713, 1877 and 1883 are included under the topic Early Dorval History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dorval Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Daivile, Daiville, Darville, Daivilla, Darvall, Darvill, Davell, Davall, Dovalle, De Vall, d'Vall, Deyville, Deville, Devill, Devil, Deyville and many more.

Early Notables of the Dorval family

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

Dorval Ranking

In Quebec, Canada, the name Dorval is the 731^st most popular surname. 7

Dorval migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dorval Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Claude Dorval, who was married in 1651 in Quebec
Jean Dorval, son of Claude and Marguerite, who married Madeleine Cloutier, daughter of Zacharie and Madeleine-Barbe, in Château-Richer, Quebec on 24th November 1679 8

Dorval Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Charles Dorval, who was married in 1712 in St-Pierre-Ile-D'Orleans, Quebec
Charles Dorval, son of Jean and Madeleine, who married Madeleine Goddelin, daughter of Gabriel and Marie-Madeleine, in Saint-Pierre-de-l'île-d'Orléans, Quebec on 5th April 1712 8
Joseph Dorval, son of Jean and Madeleine, who married Marie-Angélique Lambert, daughter of François and Marguerite, in Quebec on 20th February 1730 8
Pierre Dorval, son of Jean and Madeleine, who married Dorothée Langlois, daughter of Pierre and Angélique, in Saint-Pierre-de-l'île-d'Orléans, Quebec on 1st February 1730 8
Jean-Baptiste Dorval, son of Jean-Baptiste and Élisabeth, who married Geneviève Crépeau, daughter of Robert and Madeleine, in Saint-Pierre-de-l'île-d'Orléans, Quebec on 17th November 1732 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dorval (post 1700) +

Alain Dorval (1946-2024), French voice actor born as Alain Bergé
Napoleon Dorval, Canadian third head coach of the Montreal Canadiens hockey team
Anne Dorval (b. 1960), Canadian actress
Bernart Dorval, President and Chief of La Compagnie Laurentienne/Imperiale since 1990, who lives in Montreal

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.