A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Doyley family of England.
Reg. 7170 · English, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
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Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Ar. three chev. sa”
Englandc. 1620
Where the Doyley Arms Were Recorded
York
Map of England showing where the Doyley arms are recorded
The Doyley arms were recorded in England, c. 1620.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in York.
Yorkshire is the largest of the English counties, and it held more gentry families than any other. Land there was split among a great many households rather than a few, so a great many of them carried 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 Doyley 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 England.
Origin & History of the Doyley Family in England
The family name Doyley traces its roots back to the medieval period in England, where it evolved from a descriptive term indicating a person’s place of origin. The name is derived from the French phrase "de Oilly," which refers to a specific location in Normandy. Following the Norman Conquest, individuals bearing this name settled across various English counties, eventually establishing a notable presence in the city of York by 1620. During this era, families with this surname were often involved in the local trade and civic life of northern England. As the seventeenth century progressed, the Doyley name became firmly woven into the social fabric of York, reflecting the broader patterns of migration and settlement that defined the English gentry and merchant classes of the time.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
d'Ouilly
A locative name referring to a place in Calvados, Normandy.
This name
DoyleyAn English habitational surname derived from the Norman French place name meaning from Ouilly.
also spelled
Doyley
Doyle
Doyly
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, 1958
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
Borthwick Institute for Archives, York Diocesan Probate Records, 1620
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