Origin of Doucet

DOUCET (or DOUCETTE) is a French name. There are two theories about the origin of this name.

1. The more exciting theory: Doucet originates from the Gaul noun DUCA (Duce): General of a garrison.
2. The diminutive of the French Doux refering to a gentle character, like in Ledoux.

I personally think the second theory is more close to reality.

Doucet is related to a number of other names such as Douce, Doucez, Dousset, Do(u)chet and Do(u)chez. In Anglo-Saxon countries it sometimes changed to Dowcett, Douthwait or Douthit. (Douthit is derived from Douthwaite, a place in England.)

The Doucet's were French. Probably due to the religious polarization in the 17th century (Protestants - Catholics) a lot of French left their country and fled to the Netherlands and England and Scotland.

Around 1750 they were exiled [from Nova Scotia] by the British government and they ended up in various parts of the world, notably in Louisiana, Quebec and New Brunswick. Therefore, Doucet is a very common name in the French speaking part of Canada.

The Doucet's in Massachusetts (more general the Northeastern part of the United States) arrived at the end of the 19th - early 20th century after another Diaspora.

This article is copied from Mitch's web site. See the Links page to go to his web site.