Dobby - Name

This interesting name is a dialectal variant of the name Dobb, which derives from the medieval given name "Dobbe", itself a pet form of Robert, (Old English pre 7th Century "Hrodebert"). This name was particularly popular with the Normans, with two previous Dukes of Normandy being known as "Robert the Devil" and "Robert Curthose", (a reference to his simple dress). The surname is particularly common in Northern England and the Midlands. In the case of Dobinson, this is the patronymic (son of) form of the name. Other variants include, Dobbinson, Dobbison, Dob(b)ie, Dob(b)y, Dobey, Dobson, Dopson. Two early recordings of the name in London are of one Elizabeth Dobinson who was christened at St. Bride's Fleet Street on 30th December 1683, and one Benjamin Robinson who married Christina Grestock at St. James, Dukes Place on 4th July 1689. A Coat of Arms was granted to the family at Westminster on May 1816 and has the blazon of gules, five estoiles saltireways or, between two flaunches. The crest being, out of a ducal coronet an oak branch fructed or. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Dobynson, which was dated 1379, in the "Poll Tax records", Yorkshire, during the reign of King Richard 11, known as "Richard of Bordeaux", 1377 - 1399. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.