Doddy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Wales

The surname Doddy is a Welsh name of old Celtic origin. The surname is from one of the various related Old English personal names Dodd, Dodda, Dudd, or Dudda, which were all in common use until the 14th century. The name Doddy may also be a nickname surname derived from the Germanic root "dudd" or "dodd," which means something rounded; thus, it would have been used to denote a round, lumpish person, or a stupid person. The surname Doddy may also be derived from the Old English word "dydrian," which means deceiver or rascal, or from the word "dod," which means to make bare or to cut off. The application of the name Doddy is obvious in the former case, while the nickname would denote a bald person in the latter case.

Early Origins of the Doddy family

The surname Doddy was first found in Cheshire, at Edge, a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester. George Ormerod (1785-1873) wrote the following about the family: "About the time of Henry II., Hova, son of Cadwgan Dot, married the daughter and heiress of the Lord of Edge, with whom he had the fourth of that manor. It is probable that the Lord of Edge was son of Edwin, who before the Conquest was sole proprietor of eight manors; we may call him a Saxon thane. It appears by Domesday that Dot was the Saxon lord of sixteen manors, from which all of which he was ejected; we may presume he was identical with Cadwgan Dot."

Important Dates for the Doddy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Doddy research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1671, 1743, 1693, 1719, 1717, 1719, 1729 and 1777 are included under the topic Early Doddy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Doddy Spelling Variations

Although there are not an extremely large number Welsh surnames, there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations of those surnames. This variety of spellings began almost immediately after the acceptance of surnames within Welsh society. As time progressed, these old Brythonic names were eventually were recorded in English. This process was problematic in that many of the highly inflected sounds of the native language of Wales could not be properly captured in English. Some families, however, did decide to modify their own names to indicate a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even a patriotic affiliation. The name Doddy has seen various spelling variations: Dodd, Dod, Dot, Dodds, Dods and others.

Early Notables of the Doddy family (pre 1700)

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Sir Anthony Dod of Edge, Commander of the English archers at the Battle of Agincourt; John Dodd (c. 1693-1719), an English politician, Member of Parliament...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Doddy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Doddy family to Ireland

Some of the Doddy family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Doddy 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:

Doddy Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

• Jeremiah Doddy, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Edwin Fox" in 1875