Dear Molly, Doggett, if you want to begin at the <beginning> in this country is found in Virginia's Northern Neck, as early as 1694, although in the example I am giving you this is the only appearance of this surname in this particular volume. This is from Gertrude E. Gray's VIRGINIA NORTHERN NECK LAND GRANTS Vol. I, p. 6. (Gray has 4 volumes, arranged chronologically). These were NN grants by Lord Fairfax, although I have read they were not strictly grants--a legal technicality--don't worry about it now. I'm leaving out a lot of the detail from the published abstract. Patent Bk 2, p. 70 Thomas Thompson of Lancaster Co. died siezed of 81 A in Christ Church Par., Lancaster Co. part of 700 A granted Nicholas George 15 Feb 1652...... [details of how the land is being treated now -- being assigned to someone else] - On Corritoman R., Seafold Point, Benjamin Doggett, George's Cr., adj Elmore George. 24 Nov 1694. If you can find these volumes listed below in a large libary near you, perhaps a University library or some rich community college, take a look to find the distribution of the name at the time of the tax lists. Volume 3 is the index. The volumes by Love and Schreiner-Yantis are called THE 1787 CENSUS OF VIRGINIA. They are really tax lists and are better than the earlier censuses. They include what later became Kentucky and also West Virginia. You MAY find this surname Doggett later in Prince William Co. and then perhaps Fauquier Co. and/or Culpeper Co., VA. Lots of people left Virginia after the Revolution. Most North Carolinians in the central part of NC came from Virginia. Those in or around Rowan Co. came from lots of different places--Pennsylvania, Maryland, and lots of Scots-Irish there. I venture to say Doggett was an English name. Oh, yes, if you find any Doggetts marrying Kempers in the above-named VA counties, let me know. Evelyn W. Wallace southern California