Show ContentsDotes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Dotes Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Dotes

What does the name Dotes mean?

The surname Dotes 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 "from Lincolnshire to Devonshire and from Essex to Lancashire." 1 2 3 4

Early Origins of the Dotes family

The surname Dotes was first found in Worcestershire where the Latin form Brictricus filius Doddi was registered as holding lands in the Domesday Book of 1086. 5 The Domesday also includes an entry for Aluric Dodd in Dorset. Balterus filius Dudde, Walterus Dudde were both Old English Bynames in Worcestershire in the 11th century. Ælfweard Dudd was listed as another Old English Byname in Hampshire c. 1030. 1

As a forename Dodde de Lismanoch was found in the Pipe Rolls for Devon in 1194. Æluric Doddes was recorded in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk c. 1095. Johannes filius Dode was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Lancashire in 1332. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 proved the widespread use of the name in many counties at that time: Benedict Dod, Northamptonshire; Peter Dod, Oxfordshire; Richard Dod, Cambridgeshire; and William Dod, Salop (Shropshire.) 4

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."

Early History of the Dotes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dotes research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1549, 1550, 1630, 1645, 1652, 1664, 1665, 1671, 1672, 1683, 1693, 1716, 1717, 1719, 1729, 1743, 1754, 1777 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Dotes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dotes Spelling Variations

There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Dotes have included Dodd, Dod, Dot, Dodds, Dods and others.

Early Notables of the Dotes family

Sir Anthony Dod of Edge, Commander of the English archers at the Battle of Agincourt. Henry Dod (1550?-1630?), was an English poet, of the old family of Dod, or Doddes, Cheshire. 6 John Dod (1549?-1645), was a Puritan divine, born at Shotlidge, near Malpas, Cheshire, in or about 1549, was the youngest of a family of seventeen. His parents were possessed of a moderate estate, and after he had received his early education at Westchester sent him when about fourteen to Jesus College, Cambridge, where he was elected scholar and afterwards fellow. Peirce Dod (1683-1754), was a medical writer, the fourth of the...
Another 147 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dotes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dotes family to Ireland

Some of the Dotes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dotes family

North America in the 1800s and 1900s saw the arrival of many Welsh people hoping to share in the wealth of land, work, and freedom that they felt North America held. Those who made the journey often attained those expectations, but only through an enormous amount of hard work, perseverance, and often a bout of good luck. These immigrants helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and culture of both Canada and the United States. Discovered in the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Dotes: Laurence Dod who settled in New Hampshire in 1718; Thomas Dod settled in Barbados in 1679 with his wife Margaret; James Dod settled in Boston in 1635; Joseph Dod settled in Portland Maine in 1820.

The Dotes 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: In copia cautus
Motto Translation: Careful amid plenty.
  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  6. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print

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