The Doughty Name and the Doty Puzzle
The name DOUGHTY with its many different variations is an old name, generally supposed to have been derived from the Saxon term DOHTIG, which was an epithet applied to a brave warrior. This name was brought to England in the 5th century AD when the Roman legions had left Britain to defend Rome, leaving its coasts open to invasion from the north western parts of Europe. The Angles, Saxons and Jutes arrived, bringing the name with them. My research has shown that DOUGHTY is still more common along the eastern and south-eastern coasts of England, with the Isle of Thanet, Kent being a good example. The Isle of Thanet has DOUGHTY lineages dating back a long way, and this is an area that saw many landings of the Saxon tribes. There is often confusion with the Irish names that are very similar, DAUGHERTY, DOHERTY, DOCHERTY, DOUGHERTY etc. but these are all derived from an Irish clan led by chiefs called Dochartaig, "the destroyer." Originally they would have been O'Dochartaig b...