Show ContentsDose History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Dose, which is a local surname, reveals that the original bearer of the name once lived, held land, or was born in Schleswig-Holstein, which is the northernmost state in western Germany. This is the homeland of the proud surname Dose. By and large, hereditary surname were formed in Germany when areas of Schleswig, and most of the German states, were a part of the Holy Roman Empire. At this time, as the population of Europe swelled and travel became easier, people began to encounter others sharing their own name and they avoided confusion by adopting a second name. A common form of surname found in Schleswig are those that are derived from nicknames. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The surname Dose was a name for a loud or boisterous person. The distinguished name Dose is derived from the Old Germanic word dossen, which means to speak loudly or to make noise.

Early Origins of the Dose family

The surname Dose was first found in East Friesland, out of which the name quickly spread across the northern coastlands of Germany, in particular to Holstein and Mecklenburg. The name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society. The variations Dose and Dohse were found particularly frequently in Nordelbingen, as well as throughout Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg. In the Middle Ages, Dose became quite popular as a first name among knights. Chronicles mention, for instance, the knight Dose Block of Holstein in 1371. Chronicles also mention the figure Doso von Helle, who owned the village Dosenbeck near Preetz in Holstein. Its use as a last name may have stemmed from the area in East Friesland where the Dose river flows into the Ems.

Early History of the Dose family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dose research. Another 186 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1291, 1337, 1476, 1740, 1762 and 1764 are included under the topic Early Dose History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dose Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Dose (Hamburg), Dohse, Doose, Dase, Doss, Dosse, Dos, Doz, Dozze and many more.

Early Notables of the Dose family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dose Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Dose migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dose Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Voseley Dose, who arrived in Maryland in 1667 1
Dose Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • C Dose, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 1
  • Mr. Dose, who settled in San Francisco in 1864 aboard the ship "Albert", from Germany
  • Henry Dose, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1872 1


  1. 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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