[Surname] Doubrava
possibly some Mideuropean origin?
Replies
Pronounced "doh-brah-vah"
Doubrava is a placename in the Czech Republic as you will see at http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&country=CZ&addtohistory=&city=doubrava. According to the Dictionary of American Family Names, it means 'oak forest'.
thank you
It's actually Czech feminine first name, too. More common version is Doubravka. And yes, it's related to oaks. But I'm not sure if it means "oak forest" only, because Doubrava is a Czech river, too. There the ending -ava is one of the most common endings of Czech river names (as in Vltava, Morava, Sázava...), thought to be related to the Celtic Avon.