Show ContentsDoyley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Doyley surname is generally thought to derive from a place name, perhaps Pont Doylly, or Duilly in Normandy. Alternatively, the Oyler, Ollier and similar spellings could have been derived from the English occupational name for an extractor or seller of oil having derived from the Anglo-Norman French word "olier" from "oile." In northern England linseed oil was commonly derived from flax and used as a substitute for olive oil. [1]

Early Origins of the Doyley family

The surname Doyley was first found in Oxfordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, [2] indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Eynsham held by Columban, a Norman noble as under tenant of the Bishop of Lincoln who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. His overlord was Robert d'Ouilli.

Early History of the Doyley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Doyley research. Another 182 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1071, 1073, 1120, 1129, 1354, 1542, 1573, 1576, 1577, 1585, 1605, 1614, 1616, 1633, 1640, 1641, 1663, 1666, 1677, 1709 and 1815 are included under the topic Early Doyley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Doyley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Doyley, D'Oyley, Doyle, D'Oyle, Doylee, Doley, Duley, Duly, Duely, Dueley, Ollie, Oyler, Oylie, D'Oyly, Olley, Oulley, Oullie, Ollie, Owley, Oyly, Oilli, Oiley, L'Oyle and many more.

Early Notables of the Doyley family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Thomas D'Oyley (fl. 1585), English antiquary, the second son of Sir Henry D'Oyly, knight, of Pondhall in the parish of Hadleigh, Suffolk; Robert D'Oyley (1542-1577) of Hambleden, Buckinghamshire, who...


United States Doyley migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Doyley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Robert Doyley, who settled in Maryland in 1657
  • Robert Doyley, who arrived in Maryland in 1657 [3]
  • John Doyley, who landed in Virginia in 1663 [3]
Doyley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Doyley, who landed in Virginia in 1706 [3]
  • Wm. Doyley, who settled in Virginia in 1706
  • Cope Doyley Jr. who settled in Virginia in 1713
  • Cope Doyley, who arrived in Virginia in 1713 [3]

Australia Doyley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Doyley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Margaret Doyley, aged 19, a milk maid, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Epaminondas" [4]

New Zealand Doyley 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:

Doyley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr Doyley, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship Tuscan
  • Dr Nigel Doyley, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship Tuscan
  • Robert Doyley, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "New Era" in 1855

West Indies Doyley migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. [5]
Doyley Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Lavinia Doyley, who settled in Jamaica in 1685

Contemporary Notables of the name Doyley (post 1700) +

  • George D'Oyley (1778-1846), English theologian and biographer, fourth son of the Ven. Matthias D'Oyly, Archdeacon of Lewes and rector of Buxted, Sussex
  • Sir John D'Oyley (1774-1824), of Ceylon, second son of the Ven. Matthias D'Oyly (1743–1816), Archdeacon of Lewes and rector of Buxted, a descendant of the D'Oylys of Stone in Buckinghamshire
  • Sir Charles D'Oyley (1781-1845), Indian civilian and artist, the elder son of Sir John Hadley D'Oyly, the sixth Baronet, of Shottisham, Norfolk
  • Lloyd Doyley (b. 1982), British professional footballer


  1. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) EPAMINONDAS 1852. Retrieved www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/epaminondas1852.shtml
  5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies


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