Dowsey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The origins of the Dowsey surname date from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name originated with an early member who was a good-tempered person. The surname Dowsey is derived from the Old English words douce and dowce, which mean sweet, pleasant. These words, which later became doux, were ultimately derived from the Old French words dolz and dous, which had the same meaning. As a personal name, Dowsey was often given to females and occasionally was borne by males.

Early Origins of the Dowsey family

The surname Dowsey was first found in Wiltshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Dowsey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dowsey research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1582, 1619, 1630, 1640, 1648 and 1683 are included under the topic Early Dowsey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dowsey 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. Dowsey has been recorded under many different variations, including Dowse, Dowcett, Dowsett, Dorset, Dorsett, Dowser, Dowsey and many more.

Early Notables of the Dowsey family

Notables of the family at this time include William Dowse of Collingborn; Edward Dowse (1582-1648), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1648; and Thomas Dowse,(c. 1630-1683), also...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dowsey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dowsey family to Ireland

Some of the Dowsey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 36 words (3 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 Dowsey 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 Dowsey or a variant listed above: Thomas and Katherine Dowse who settled in Virginia in 1623; Charles Dowse settled in Virginia in 1643; Lawrence Dowse settled in Charlestown Massachusetts in 1630.