Dovar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Dovar is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived beside a small stream that emptied into a harbour. The surname Dovar originally derived from the Old English word Dofre.

Early Origins of the Dovar family

The surname Dovar was first found in Dover, a town and major ferry port in the county of Kent. The surrounding chalk cliffs have become known as the White Cliffs of Dover are known worldwide and the subject of the famous Vera Lynn wartime song so named. During the war, the cliffs were the last sight of mainland seen and then the first mainland seen by most of the returning soldiers. However, the town has a long history in its own right that dates back to at least the 4th century when it was first listed as Dubris 1 or Portus Dubris. By the Domesday Book of 1086, the local was known as Dovere 2 and derives its name from the stream there now called Dour. 1

Today Dover Castle in Kent survives as a major tourist attraction attracting over 350,000 people annually. Beginnings of the present structure were founded in the 11th century. It has been a defensive stronghold through the centuries including through World War I and II. As the largest castle in England, it has a unique vantage point overlooking the harbour below. The Roman lighthouse at Dover Castle attests to the importance of the position since ancient days.

Early History of the Dovar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dovar research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1575, 1612, 1641, 1660, 1720, 1742, 1852 and 1965 are included under the topic Early Dovar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dovar Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Dovar family name include Dover, Dovar, Dovir and others.

Early Notables of the Dovar family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Henry Dover of Bradenham Hall; and Robert Dover (1575-1641), English captain and attorney, known as the founder of the Cotswold Olimpick (Olympic) Games. He founded his annual Games held in the Cotwsold hills above Chipping Campden in about 1612, and presided over them for forty years. Revived after the Restoration, the Games continued until 1852, and were again revived in 1965.3 Thomas Dover, M.D. (1660-1742), sometimes referred to as "Doctor Quicksilver", was an English physician. He developed his eponymous "Dover's powder" that was used as a treatment...
Another 95 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dovar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dovar family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Dovar surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Mary Dover who settled in Nantasket in 1630; Timothy Dover, who settled in Virginia in 1651; Anne Dover, who settled in New England in 1764; and Francis Dover, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1823..

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)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print