Dove History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Dove family
The surname Dove was first found in Berwickshire where the name is likely from the Gaelic, Dhu (dubh), Anglicized as "black" or from "don or doo," the Scottish for dove or pigeon. 1
Another source postulates the name could have been a variant of Dove or Dawe.
The first on record of the family was Ede Douw who held land in 'vico boreali,' Edinburgh, 1366. Four years later, John Dowe was a witness at an inquest taken at Berwick-on-Tweed, 1370. "Dow is not uncommon in Perthshire appearing there in 1497, when Robert Dow held a land in Perth." 2
Further to the south, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Agnes Dowe; Hgo Dowe; Alicia Dowe; and Adam Dowe-man, the servant of Dow. 3
Turning back the clock further, we found Robertus filius Duue, Doue listed in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166 and Ralph, William Duue were listed in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1197. 4
Early History of the Dove family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dove research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1370, 1500, 1510, 1516, 1527, 1555, 1561, 1574, 1580, 1616, 1618, 1630, 1640, 1645, 1658, 1665 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Dove History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dove Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: McDow, Dow, Dowe, Dove, Dows, Dowes, Doves and others.
Early Notables of the Dove family
Notable amongst the family name during their early history was
- Henry Dove, (1640-1695), Archdeacon of Richmond, son of a clergyman, born in 1640, and elected from Westminster to Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1658. He was also a politician, Mayor of Salisbury, Wi...
- John Dove (1561-1618), was 'a Surrey man, born of plebeian parents,' and scholar of St. Peter's College, Westminster, whence he was elected to Christ Church, Oxford, in 1580. 5
- John Dove (died 1665), was English parliamentary politician during the English Civil War and Interregnum. He was a regicide, and alderman of Salisbury, Wiltshire, elected member for that city 16 Oct...
- Thomas Dove (1555-1630), was Bishop of Peterborough, born in London in 1555 and was the son of William Dove. 5
Dove Ranking
In the United States, the name Dove is the 1,975th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 6 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Dove is ranked the 486th most popular surname with an estimated 97 people with that name. 7
Migration of the Dove family to Ireland
Some of the Dove 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.
Dove migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Dove Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Ffrancis Dove, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 8
- Francis Dove, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 8
- Philip Dove, who arrived in Virginia in 1699 8
Dove Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Sara Dove, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 8
- Timothy Dove, who arrived in Virginia in 1713 8
Dove Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- William Dove, who arrived in America in 1806 8
- William Pritchard Dove, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1813 8
- Charles Dove, who arrived in New York in 1837 8
- John Dove, who arrived in Colorado in 1884 8
Dove migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Dove Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Eiter Main Dove, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
- Daniel Dove, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
- Mr. William Dow U.E. who settled in Digdeguash, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 served in the 74th Regiment 9
- Mr. Robert Dowlar Jr., U.E. who settled in Western District [The townships of Essex County and Kent County], Ontario c. 1784 9
Dove Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- Edward Dove, who landed in Halifax or New York in 1811
Dove migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Dove Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. George Dove, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Earl Spencer" in May 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
- John Dove, a shoemaker, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
- Mr. David Dove, English convict who was convicted in Suffolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Augusta Jessie" on 27 September 1834, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
- Ellen Dove, aged 21, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Australia"
Dove 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:
Dove Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- James Dove, aged 22, a farmer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Prince of Wales" in 1842
- Mr. William Dove, (b. 1840), aged 21, Scottish ploughman, from Lanarkshire travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Rhea Sylvia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd May 1861 12
- Mr. Eli Dove, (b. 1846), aged 17, British gardener, from Hampshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Metropolis" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 16th June 1863 13
- Mr. Levi Dove, (b. 1849), aged 16, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Greyhound" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 7th May 1865 13
Contemporary Notables of the name Dove (post 1700) +
- Robert B. Dove (1938-2021), American politician, Parliamentarian of the United States Senate (1995-2001), and a professor of political science at George Washington University
- Meredith Dove, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1972
- Herman Dove, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Bronx County 6th District, 1964
- Franklin R. Dove, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1920; Delegate to Illinois State Constitutional Convention 40th District, 1920; Circuit Judge in Illinois 4th Circuit, 1925
- Franklin E. Dove, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1972
- C. L. Dove, American Republican politician, Candidate for West Virginia State Senate 6th District, 1952
- Rita Dove (b. 1952), American poet and author awarded the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
- Arthur Garfield Dove (1880-1946), early American modernist, he was one of America's first abstract painters
- Charles Dove (b. 1879), English footballer
- Craig Dove (b. 1983), English football midfielder
- ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Dove family +
- Mr. Harold Leslie Dove, British Leading Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 14
HMS Royal Oak
- George E. Dove, British Boy 1st Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 15
The Dove Motto +
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Patiens
Motto Translation: Patient.
Citations +
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
- 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)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-spencer
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/augusta-jessie
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
- Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html