Doman

This interesting surname of English origin, is an occupational name for a judge, deriving from the Old English pre 7th Century "dom" meaning doom and "mann" man; hence "doom-man" or from the Old English "demere", a judge, one who pronounces the verdict of doom. The surname first appears on record in the mid 13th Century, (see below). One, William Deman is registered in the Assize Court Rolls of Lancashire (1285), and John Doman is noted in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk (1327). Other early recordings of the surname from the London church registers include; Humphrey, son of Richard Doman, who was christened on July 21st 1593, at St. Margaret's, Westminster; on August 7th 1609, Annes, daughter of Cornelius Doman, was christened at St. Giles Cripplegate; the marriage of Mathew Dolman to Hellin Jonson, took place on April 2nd 1632, at St. Stephen's, Coleman Street and on June 26th 1642, Elizabeth Dolman married Edward Burton, at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. In the modern idiom the name is also found as Dooman. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Roger Dememan, Wiltshire, which was dated 1246, "Sir Christopher Hatton's of Seals", during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.