The Doughty surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 11,880 people carried this name — #3,019 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 24,800 people counted. That is up 3% from 11,525 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Doughty surname

A surname transferred from the nickname.

From doughty, a nickname for a powerful and brave man, especially a champion jouster.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Doughty» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a nickname: ‘the doughty’.

An early record he cites: Johanna Doughti, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 249 · public domain.

In Scotland’s registers today

Doughty was recorded 10 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1929th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

73 families named Doughty, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 406 people lived in those households, 5.6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 6 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New York 35
Pennsylvania 14
Maine 10
South Carolina 6
North Carolina 5
Massachusetts 2
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 237 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Doughty in American newspapers,
1868–1909.

Newspaper page from Eagle River Review carrying the name Doughty
Eagle River Review 1907-01-11
Newspaper page from The Pulaski Citizen carrying the name Doughty
The Pulaski Citizen 1868-04-03
Newspaper page from Pinedale Roundup carrying the name Doughty
Pinedale Roundup 1909-09-16

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 112,957 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Doughty in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

8,655 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Doughty. The most, 1,966, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 2,735
New South Wales 2,718
South Australia 1,387
Victoria 1,036
Tasmania 401
Western Australia 263
ACT (Canberra) 76

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Doughty.

Who carried it

People named Doughty,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Doughty d. 1629 · politician
  • Mary Doughty d. 1661
  • Rosanna Doughty d. 1852
  • Katharine Doughty d. 1906
  • Mary Anne Doughty d. 1835
  • Marion Kate Evelyn Doughty d. 1950

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Doughty,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,297 records

1,297 records of the Doughty name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 439
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 371
  • Other U.S. records 487
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Llewellyn G. Doughty

    Born 1911 in Georgia. Enlisted 1943 at Fort McPherson Atlanta; store manager from Richmond County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1995, buried at Hillcrest Memorial Park, Augusta, Georgia.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Robert Thomas Doughty

    Born 1946; from Mt Holly, New Jersey. U.S. Army; died in an accident 1966 in South Vietnam. Buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record William Doughty

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 20; laborer. From Dalwich, England; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,297 records for Doughty in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia324 records

324 records of the Doughty name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 137
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 71
  • Other Australian records 116
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Harriet Doughty

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Sea Queen, sailing from Woolwich in 1846. Native of Drayton, Norfolk. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1847.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John Doughty

    Died 1868 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 49. Will registered in Tasmania in 1868.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Marion Doughty

    Arrived in Victoria in 1886 aboard the Lusitania, aged 18; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 324 records for Doughty in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada62 records

62 records of the Doughty name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 28
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 15
  • Other Canadian records 19
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Elsia Doughty

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Lady's Adventure, bound for St. Johns, aged 19.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Robert William Gordon Doughty

    Buried in 1992 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 54.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Harry Doughty

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 62 records for Doughty in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom45 records

45 records of the Doughty name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 32
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 5
  • Other British records 8
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Alexander Doughty

    Died 1937, aged 70; buried at Aberfoyle Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Doughty

    Will proved in 1940; of Holyhead, Anglesea.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Gordon Gray Doughty

    Born 1893. Died 1918. Named in the University of Edinburgh roll of honour, 1914-1919.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Showing 3 of 45 records for Doughty in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France2 records

2 records of the Doughty name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jack Lawton Doughty

    Born 1930 in the United Kingdom; died 1990 in Meudon (Hauts-de-Seine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Anthony Paul Doughty

    Born 1972 in Great Britain; died 1995 in Dinan (Côtes-d'Armor).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Doughty name in the Netherlands Dutch church registers before 1811
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Doughty

    Buried in 1752 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Doughty.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Doughty is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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