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Many thanks for your interesting email.
The Dovey (or, to give it the correct Welsh spelling, Dyfi - which is
pronounced more or less the same as the English version) is one of the
major rivers of West Wales, with a spectacular 'aber', or mouth, where
it meets the sea between Aberdyfi (Aberdovey) and Borth on Cardigan
Bay. There are pictures of this area in our photo album section which
you may find of interest.
Best wishes
John M. Hughes.
West Wales Web
I have to say that I have never seen Dovey as a personal name, and
there are in fact none in our local telephone book, which seems to
confirm that it is unusual. However, it is still very common in Wales
for people to be known by some name other than their 'official'
surname (no doubt because there is a need to distinguish between all
the different Joneses, Thomases or whatever), and I imagine that your
own surname may have come about as a result of this, to distinguish an
ancestor who lived near or came from the area.
The spellings Dovie and Dovey were both used in English from the late
17th century on, so your name could date from any time after that down
to quite modern times.
You may find some more helpful information on the National Library of
Wales website, which is linked from the West Wales Web. The National
Library now contains most church and chapel records, which makes
researching into family history in Wales much easier than it used to
be.
I hope that this is helpful; if we can assist you again, please do let
us know.