The Welsh surname Davies is of patronymic origin, deriving from the personal name Davy (Welsh Dafydd, Dewi), a pet form of David. The name is not recorded in any part of Britain before the Norman Conquest of 1066, and is regarded as being a 'Crusader' introduction. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Dauisse, which was dated 1327, in the Subsidy Rolls of the county of Cambridgeshire. A notable bearer of the name was Dr John Davies ( 1567 – 1644) one of Wales's leading scholars of the late Renaissance. He wrote a Welsh grammar and dictionary. He was also a translator and editor and an ordained minister.