Explore the Family Name Dawber

The meaning of Dawber

English (northern): occupational name from Middle English dauber, douber, dober ‘whitewasher, plasterer’ (Anglo-Norman French daubour). In the Middle Ages walls of wattle and daub were extremely common. Wattling consisted of a row of upright stakes, the spaces between filled with interwoven twigs, hazel rods, osiers, reeds, etc. Clay or earth, usually mixed with cow dung and hair, was daubed onto this frame, pressed well into the interstices, and the surfaces smoothed. Once dry, they were usually treated with plaster or at least a coat of whitewash. Closely allied to daubing was pargetting or rough-casting, in which mortar or a coarse form of plaster was used instead of clay or loam.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.