This uncommon surname is of Old French origin, and is a variant of the ancient and distinguished Daubeney, itself a locational name (with the fused preposition "de"), from any of the various places in northern France including: Aubigne (Brittany), and Aubigny (Normandy), so called from the Gallo-Roman personal name "Albinius" (a derivative of "albus", white), with the locational suffix "-acum", village, settlement. The surname was introduced into England by the Normans during the Conquest of 1066, and the first recorded namebearer (below), was an attendant of William the Conqueror. He came from Saint-Martin d'Aubigny (La Manche), and was the founder of the line of Aubigni, earls of Arundel. Early examples of the name abound in the 1273 Hundred Rolls of various counties, and include: William de Aubeni (Nottinghamshire); Ordnell de Daubeny (Leicestershire); and John Daubini (Lincolnshire). In the modern idiom the name is variously spelt: Daubeny, Daubney, Dabney, Dobney and D'Aubney. On October 15th 1672, John, son of Arthur and Katherine Dobney, was christened at St. Sepulchre, London, and on May 2nd 1686, the christening of Thomas, son of Thomas and Alice Dobney, took place at Prestwold, Leicestershire. An early Coat of Arms granted to the Daubeney or De Albini family depicts four silver lozenges conjoined in fess on a red shield, the Crest being a mullet on a tree. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William de Albini, known as "the butler D'Aubignie", which was dated 1086, in the Domesday Book, during the reign of King William 1, known as "William the Conqueror", 1066 - 1087. 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.

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