The Doane Family in the United States is a vibrant group of people who love history, genealogy and family. With roots going back to the time of the pilgrims through the family's "great granddaddy," Deacon John Doane, the family continues to this day to enjoy the company of each other and research just exactly how they are related to each other, and what that means in a current day context.

The Doane Name. For those more familiar with the King’s English and his part of the globe they will know of The Downs in England, and recall that the word downs or dunes means a hilly area. The Doane name is believed to have its origins in this hilly part of the British Isles. Doane meant "dweller at the hill.” An interesting fact that continues to present day – according to Burkes Peearage Analysis of the Number of Dones in England in 1990 there are more Doanes in the hilly part of England than the flat areas.

Open any phone book and you will find more than one spelling of the name. This is understood in its historical context. Going back four centuries you discover that spelling was not as important as it is today. Back then many were illiterate. How something was spelled was a mute point. Pronunciation was the vital issue. Deacon John spelled his name 'Done' throughout his life. The next generation added the 'a' to insure proper pronunciation and to not be confused with the name "Dunn," and so on, and so on. So, from Done, to Doan, to Doane and maybe a few others, too. The spelling has evolved. Modern day family research projects include trying to uncover whether family members exist with other spelling gyrations of the name, such as Dunne.

The Beginning, Deacon John. Deacon John Doane was born around 1590. He lived in London just before he sailed for America. He came to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1629 or 1630. He had a wife who came with him. He was a, “man of some substance” and of the minor gentry. He called himself a gentleman tailor. With these and other fragments of information the family is actively researching Deacon John's history in order to find out who he was before his appearance in London.