Dottie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Dottie is a name whose history dates far back into the mists of early British times to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes. It is a name for a person who was considered brave and strong. The surname Dottie originally derived from the Old English word doughty or dohti which meant valiant, hardy, manly. 1

Most sources agree that this is the generally accepted origin of the name. However, one source claims the name to be Norman in origin as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae notes William de Oughtia, Normandy 1180, 1198. 2

Early Origins of the Dottie family

The surname Dottie was first found in Yorkshire where early spellings of the name varied greatly.

By example, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Johanna Doughti; Johannes Doughty, taylour; and Adam Doughty. In the East Riding of Yorkshire, the Poll Tax Rolls for Howdenshire included Robertus Dughty and Johannes Dughti. 3

While most of the records of the name come from Yorkshire, we must look to Bedfordshire for the first record. For it is here that William Douti held lands as listed in the Assize Rolls in 1247. Later, William Doughty was listed in Leicestershire in 1300 and John Dughti was listed as a Freeman of York in 1314. 4

Early History of the Dottie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dottie research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1365, 1533, 1545, 1577, 1578, 1598, 1599, 1613, 1620, 1655, 1672 and 1792 are included under the topic Early Dottie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dottie Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Dottie has been recorded under many different variations, including Doughty, Doughtie, Dowtie, Dowty and others.

Early Notables of the Dottie family

Notables of the family at this time include Thomas Doughty (1545-1578), an English nobleman, soldier, scholar and personal secretary of Christopher Hatton. His association with Francis Drake, on a 1577 voyage to interfere with Spanish treasure fleets, ended in a shipboard trial for treason and witchcraft and Doughty's execution. John Doughtie...
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dottie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dottie family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Dottie or a variant listed above: Anne and Thomas Doughty who settled in Virginia in 1623; Francis Doughty settled in New England in 1630; Phillip Doughty arrived in Boston in 1774; another Anne Doughty settled in Virginia in 1736. Doughty's Falls were probably named after Thomas Doughty a settler from Berwick in 1657..

Contemporary Notables of the name Dottie (post 1700) +

Dottie May Frazier (1922-2022), American diver, designer, and dive shop owner, the first female scuba instructor and the first female dive shop owner
Dottie Pepper Mochrie (b. 1965), born Dottie Pepper, an American LPGA golfer who won two major championships and 17 LPGA Tour events
Dottie Rambo (1934-2008), American Grammy and multiple Dove Award-winning gospel singer and songwriter
Dottie Priddy, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Kentucky State House of Representatives 45th District; Elected 1973, 1975
Dottie McWherter, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Missouri, 2004 5
Dottie Le Clair, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Wisconsin 8th District, 2004 6

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html