This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Dolphin' (Domesday, Dolfin): Yonge. Popular in France; compare Dauphin. For corrupted forms, v. Duffin; compare Dovenby, Cumberland, a corruption of Dolphinby, and Dolphinholme, near Lancaster, both beyond doubt styled from the personal name of the early resident.

Dolfinus de Kirkeby, 21 Richard II: Furness Coucher Book.

Eva fil. Dolphine. Placitorum in domo capitulari Westmonasteriensi.

Johannes Dolfyn, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Adam Dolfynson, 1379: ibid.

Annes Dolphyn, 1541: Reg. St. Dionis Backchurch.

John Dolfyn, Yorkshire Testamenta Eboracensia (Surtees Society).

William Dolfin, Surreyf., 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Adam de Dolfynby, Cumberland, 20 Edward I: Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III.

1579. Buried — William Dowlphin, 90 yeares old: St. Peter, Cornhill.

1606-7. Rowland Dolphenne, Worcestershire: Register of the University of Oxford.

This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Godolphin,' a hamlet in the parish of Breage, five miles from Helston, Cornwall, anciently written Godolcan or Godolghan. 'John de Godolphin is said to have possessed the manor at the time of the Conquest' (Lower, quoting Gilbert's Cornwall).

1660. Francis Godolphin (Wiltshire) and Elizabeth Mordaunt: Marriage Alleg. (Canterbury).

An ancient personal name. One Dolfin was a tenant-in-chief in cos. Derby and York at the making of Domesd. The family were in Ireland before the year 1307. B.L.G.

A manor in the parish of Breage, near Helston, co. Cornwall, anciently written Godolghan, a word which is said to mean in the Cornish tongue "the White Eagle," whence the 'eagle displayed with two necks argent.,' in the armorial shield. John de Godolphin is said to have possessed the manor at the time of the Conquest. C. S. Gilbert's Cornwall, i. 520.

Carew derives Godolphin from two Cornish words signifying "white eagle." Scawen says, "Godolphin in keeping still displayed abroad the white eagle, from the Cornish gothlugon." A correspondent of Notes and Queries observes, "It seems highly improbable that Carew should have given the explanation ' white eagle' without some grounds of apparent probability. First, the Cornish form of the name is Godolghan, Godolcan, or Godalcan: the last syllable may be can, white; godol or gedol may have been a Welsh or Cornish word unknown to the dictionaries signifying ' eagle' (probably as a descriptive epithet, etymologically combatant), even though we have no other voucher than Carew himself. That such a word, whatever the meaning, existed in Welsh, we may learn from the name of Cors-y-Gedol in Merioneth. Gilbert seems to have imagined English elements in this Cornish name. But, although it is possible Carew may be right in his division and interpretation of the name, there is another explanation to be found, I believe, in Camden. Godalcan is rendered ' wood of tin, ' as though it were a wood in which there are tin mines (god, imitation of. coit, a wood; alcan, tin); but while I believe that alcan is an element in the name, the first syllable seems to me to be from cody, to raise—a place where tin is raised. I believe Carew to be quite right as to what the several parts of the Cornish name might mean, though wrong in so dividing the word and applying them to this particular example; while Gilbert is quite astray." Gilbert says in a note, "Godolanec in the Phœnician is a place of tin." The editor of Notes and Queries observes, "The editors of the Queens of Society had probably read the following note in Burke's Dictionary of Peerages, 'Godolphin, in Cornish, signifies a white eagle, which was always borne in the arms of this family.' Burke, no doubt, obtained this fanciful meaning of the word from Carew's Survey of Cornwall, where it is stated that Godolfin alias Godolghan signifies the white eagle—than which (says D. Gilbert) nothing can be more Untrue, for in all these compound words there is not one particle or syllable relating thereto, or any other of the British language whatsoever; for wen erew, wen eryr, wen eriew, and by contraction wen-er, is a white eagle in tlie Welsh, Little-Britannic, and Cornish tongues. (See Dr. Davis's British Lexicon, and Floyd upon Aquila. ) As for the modern name Good-ol-phin, God-olfyn, it admits of no other etymology or construction than that it was a place that was altogether a wood, fountain, well, or spring of water, or altogether God's fountain or spring of water. Parochial Hist, of Cornwall, i. 119,120." N. & Q., 3rd S. iii. 448. Lower (on the authority of C. S. Gilbert's Cornwall, i. 520) says, "Godolphin, a manor in the parish of Breage, near Helston, anciently written Godolghan, a word which is said to signify in the Cornish 'the white eagle, ' whence the 'eagle displayed with two necks argent, ' in the armorial shield. John de Godolphin is said to have possessed the manor at the time of the Conquest." Pryce translates Godolphin "the little valley of springs" (go, little; dol, valley; phin or fince, of springs). This would seem to be a more reasonable etymology, but I am inclined to think godôl may be simply an intense form of dôt, and that the name was perhaps originally Dôlvean, the little valley; or Dôlfyn, the spring in the valley. Godolcan may indeed be another name altogether. I find in Leland's Itinerary (D. Gilbert, iv. 267), "From Mr. Godolcan to Pembro, wher the parish chirch is (i.e. appertains) to Mr. Godolcan From Mr. Godolcan to Lanante a four miles. No greater tynne workes yn al Cornwall then be on Sir Wylliam Godalcan's ground." The surnames Dolphin, Dalphin, may be etymologically connected with that of Godolphin.

(Cornish British) A little valley of springs; from Godol, a little valley, and phin or phince, springs.

Ferguson thinks Dolphin the Old Norse dolgfinner, the Dolfin of early English history. Lower says it is an ancient personal name, and that one Dolfin was a tenant-in-chief in cos. Derby and York at the making of Domesday, and that the family were in Ireland before 1307. It may however be the same as Godolphin.