Daughtry
An English surname that likely began as a place-name spelling of Hawtrey/Dawtrey, later reshaped in American usage.
The #5,925 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 53,086 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally treated as a variant spelling of Dawtrey or Hawtrey, names that point back to a place-based origin rather than a personal nickname or occupation. The first element is usually linked to a Norman-French place-name tradition, though the precise early form is not entirely secure in the excerpted source. In practice, Daughtry appears to be an anglicized spelling that developed from older forms of the same family name.
History
The historical note in the source places the family in Sussex in Norman times, suggesting a long English pedigree before later spelling variation. In later records, the name appears alongside forms such as Dawtrey, Daltry, and Daltrey, showing how unstable the spelling could be over time. The modern American form Daughtry is especially familiar as a surname in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same surname family produced several very different spellings in historical records, including Daughtry, Daltrey, and Hawtrey.
From the historical record
“London, 73, 4 ; New Yoik, 40, □. Dawtrej, Daughtry. Dal- treo, Daltry, Daltrey.— Local, ' of Dawtrey.' Mr. Lower writes as followa : 'Hawtrey, Haultrey. The family were in Sussex in Norman times. . . . The name was”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances