Dover Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Dover last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Dover last name
Meaning of the Dover last name: waters. Dover is an English surname from the port of Dover in Kent, whose name comes from a Celtic word for "waters". It is found in the south of England. Robert Dover, who founded the Cotswold Olimpick Games around 1612, carried this last name.
Arms associated with the Dover name
In English heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Dover name are described in a blazon, a short formal text.
Get your full Dover family history
This is only a glimpse of the Dover story. The full Dover history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Dover coat of arms. Get the full Dover report.
Dover name FAQ
What does the Dover name mean?
Waters. Common variants include Dovor.
Where does the Dover surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Dover coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Dover coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).