Doo Coat of Arms Record & History

A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Doo family of England.

Reg. 5503 · English, D–F

Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details

Where the Doo Arms Were Recorded

Oxford
Map of England showing where the Doo arms are recorded

The Doo arms were recorded in Oxford, c. 1537.

Oxfordshire was farming country with the university at its centre, and both produced families of standing. Scholars and lawyers who did well bought manors nearby, and holding a manor was the ordinary route to a coat of 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.

Region
Oxford
Town
Bedel
First recorded
1537

Granting Authority for the Doo Arms

Arms of College of Arms
College of Arms Sodacan · CC BY-SA 3.0
Authority

College of Arms

1484-present

The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.

Portrait of Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Sovereign of the period

Henry VIII of England

1509–1547

Reigning in England when the Doo 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 Oxford.

Origin & History of the Doo Family in England

The surname Doo is a name with deep roots in the English landscape, particularly within the historic university city of Oxford. Records confirm that members of the Doo family were established residents in Oxford as early as 1537, a time when the city was a bustling center of trade and religious transition. The name itself is thought to be topographical or descriptive, likely originating from a Middle English term used to identify people who lived near a specific landmark or possessed a particular trait. Because surnames were still becoming standardized during the sixteenth century, families like the Doos were often recorded in parish registers and local tax rolls as they navigated the social shifts of the Tudor era. By maintaining a presence in a prominent location like Oxford, these early ancestors were part of the foundational community that helped shape the city’s long-standing academic and civic identity.

Related Branches & Arms

Root word
Dowe

Middle English term for a dove or a gentle person.

This name
DooA topographic name for someone living near a dovecote or a nickname for a gentle individual.
also spelled
Dowe
Related arms
Doevariant spelling

Documented Sources

Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884

Oxfordshire History Centre, Oxford City Records: Records of the City of Oxford 1509–1583

Salter, H.E., Surveys and Tokens of Medieval Oxford, 1923

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