Recorded in many forms including Dorey, Dores, Doreys, Douras, Doris, Douris, Douriez and possibly others, this is an ancient surname of French origins. It is a fused form of d'aurum' with aurum meaning gold, and as such was in medieval times a metonymic given to a gilder or goldsmith. The term as d'ore was introduced into England after the invasion of 1066. The surname has no knoiwn connection with the fish or the flat bottomed boat called a 'dory'. This is an Indian word from Honduras, 'imported' into Europe in the 18th century. The surname recordings are much earlier in England than France. This may be put down to the civil wars between the Catholics and the Protestants (Huguenots) which rocked France for two centuries between 1580 and 1780. The early French church recordings include Jean Dourin of Angers in on January 26th 1632, and Jean Dores of Chatuzange Le Goubet, Drome, on June 14th 1667. In England Darathe Dorye was recorded at St Margarets, Westminster, on November 11th 1579, whilst Andree Doree, a French Huguenot, was recorded at Threadneedle Street French Church, London, on September 6th 1691. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Geoffrey de Dory, which was dated 1272, in the 'Testa de Neville' rolls for Lincoln, during the reign of King Edward 1st, known as 'The hammer of the Scots', 1272 - 1307. 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.

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