Dotingston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The name Dotingston is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in Doddington, a place name found at many locations throughout England. The name is made up of the Old English personal name Dodda, an Old English word that meant "enclosure," or "farm" and tun, which meant "town." Thus the original meaning of this place name was Dodda's farm or Dodda's town. 1

Early Origins of the Dotingston family

The surname Dotingston was first found in Somerset at Doddington, which predates the Norman Conquest dating back to c. 975 when it was first listed as Dundingtune. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, the village was known as Dodington. 2

There are other places similarly named in the Domesday Book but this is the only pre-Conquest village making it of Saxon origin. In early days, some of the family were found much further north in Cumberland at Kirk-Oswald where "the estates [of Kirk-Oswald] were granted by Elizabeth to the Dodding family." 3

Alternatively, the family could have originated in the parish of Duddington in Northamptonshire. The parish dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Dodintone 2 and literally meant "estate associated with a man called Dud(d)a," from the old English personal name + "-ing" + "tun." 1

Further to the north, Duddingston is a former village in the east of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was first recorded in lands granted to the Abbot of Kelso Abbey by David I of Scotland between 1136-1147. Duddingston Loch is a loch located in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, Scotland, below Arthur's seat. It is the only natural loch in Edinburgh.

Early History of the Dotingston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dotingston research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1519, 1536, 1547, 1551, 1595, 1662, 1663, 1689, 1691, 1693, 1705, 1707, 1708, 1713, 1715, 1717, 1718 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Dotingston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dotingston Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Dotingston are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Dotingston include: Dodington, Doddington, Doddingston and others.

Early Notables of the Dotingston family

Distinguished members of the family include Bartholomew Dodington (1536-1595), Greek scholar, born in Middlesex and was admitted a scholar of St. John's College, Cambridge, on the Lady Margaret's foundation, 11 Nov. 1547, and proceeded B.A. in 1551. 4George Bubb Dodington, Lord Melcombe (c. 1662-1720), was an English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Somerset (1715-1720), Vice-Admiral of Somerset (1715-1720), Member of Parliament for Winchelsea (1705-1707) and (1707-1708), for Charlemont (1707-1713) and for Bridgwater (1708-1713.) He "represented the old Somerset family the Dodingtons of Dodington. A John Dodington (d. 1663) held an office under Thurloe, and married Hester, the daughter of Sir Peter Temple...
Another 127 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dotingston Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dotingston family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Dotingston or a variant listed above: John Doddington arrived in Georgia in 1773.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print