Map of England showing where the Docking arms are recorded
The Docking arms were recorded in Stafford, c. 1620.
Staffordshire was mixed country of moorland, farmland and early ironworking. Its landed families were spread widely rather than concentrated, and each holding brought its own claim to arms.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Docking arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Stafford.
Origin & History of the Docking Family in England
The family name Docking is primarily of English origin and is considered a locative surname, meaning it was originally derived from a specific place name. Historical evidence points to the village of Docking in Norfolk as the likely cradle of the family, where residents were identified by their connection to the land. By the year 1620, records confirm that members of the Docking family had established a presence in Stafford. This migration suggests that the family moved from their ancestral roots in East Anglia toward the Midlands during a period of significant social and economic change in England. As the family settled into new regions, they integrated into local communities, often appearing in parish registers and legal documents that tracked the lives of tradespeople and landowners. These early records provide a glimpse into a family that transitioned from localized rural origins to becoming part of the broader English social fabric during the seventeenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Docca
An Old English personal name meaning gentle or mild.
This name
DockingRefers to the settlement or people belonging to the followers of Docca.
also spelled
Dickin
Dyking
Dickynge
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of English Surnames, 1991
Lower, Mark Antony, Patronymica Britannica: A Dictionary of the Family Names of the United Kingdom, 1860
Staffordshire Record Office, Diocese of Lichfield and Coventry Parish Registers, 1620
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