Dobi is a

family name In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

(

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

) originating in Hungary. It is mostly prevalent in

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

.Dobi Family
/ref>

Etymology

The surname may originate from the Hungarian personal name ''Dabó'' (

Transylvanian Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

form ''Dobó''), or from a pet form of the personal name ''Dob''. Another theory on the origin of the Dobi surname may be as a diminutive of the

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

personal name ''Hrodebert'' (ancient form of the English name ''Robert'').

Dobi surname in Albania

in Albania is considered to be one of the oldest families of the medieval city of Gjirokastra and it is believed that they had first settled in the citadel inside the

Gjirokastër Fortress Gjirokastër Castle (Albanian language, Albanian: ''Kalaja e Gjirokastrës'' or ''Kalaja e Argjirosë'') is a fortress in Gjirokastër, Albania (during Ottoman rule it was historically known as Ergiri while local Greeks referred to it as Argyrok ...

by the year 1380. Since then, there have been 30 generations of people with the Dobi surname.Donika Anxhaku & Zenel Anxhaku " 100 Familje Shqiptare", (

Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...

: Botimet KUMI, 2010), 83. A line of the Dobi family had established landholdings in the village of Damës, in the region of Tepelena, but by the end of the 16th century most of them had moved to Gjirokastra and the

cadet branch A cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets (realm, titles, fiefs, property and incom ...

of the family that stayed back in Damës formed the core of the Iliriani family. According to legend, throughout the centuries the Dobi family has been involved mainly with commerce, especially in the trade of

mule The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey, and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two ...

s for transport, which helps explain the presence of the mule in escutcheon of the Family's

heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

.Baftjar Dobi, "Gjirokastra jonë", kap. ''"Pak fjalë mbi fisin Dobi"'', (

: Albin, 2001). By the 1780s, members of the Dobi family started spreading from their dwellings inside the castle to other areas of the city, mainly in the "Hazmurat" neighborhood. These new dwellings were mainly of 2 to 3 stories high and surrounded by thick stone walls. In architectural style, they were similar to the other tower houses typical of Gjirokastra, the most famous of which being the Zekate House. Throughout the years, the Dobi family continued growing and expanding throughout the city in other desirable neighborhoods, such as "Upper Palorto", "Lower Palorto", "Manalat" and "Cfarkë",Donika Anxhaku & Zenel Anxhaku " 100 Familje Shqiptare", (

: Botimet KUMI, 2010), 84. and by 1945 they were considered to be one of the largest families of Gjirokastra, with 6 major branches.Artikull: Dobajt, soji i mirë i Gjirokastrës
/ref> Members of the Dobi family of Gjirokastra have been active in the struggle for Albanian Independence and in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

fighting against

fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...

, where is worth mentioning Istref Dobi, who at 17 years of age took part in the armed conflict for the liberation of Vlora in 1920, or the 12 members of the Dobi family who were active in the Antifascist National Liberation Movement of Albania during World War II. After the end of World War II, many members of the Dobi family moved from Gjirokastra towards the capital city,

, a process which had started since the 1930s, and as a consequence there are only 3 families bearing the Dobi surname living in Gjirokastra at the moment. In addition to migration inside of Albania, many members of the Dobi family emigrated to other countries, especially to

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...

in modern-day

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

or the cities of

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

and

İzmir İzmir is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. It is on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, and is the capital of İzmir Province. In 2024, the city of İzmir had ...

in Turkey. In the 1990s, as with many other

Albanians The Albanians are an ethnic group native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, Albanian culture, culture, Albanian history, history and Albanian language, language. They are the main ethnic group of Albania and Kosovo, ...

, many members of the Dobi family emigrated towards the

, and nowadays Albanians with the Dobi surname have settled primarily in the states of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

and

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

Notable Albanians with the Dobi surname

Most of the members of the Dobi family of Albania have traditionally been involved with commerce and civil administration, being well-respected in the fields of

jurisprudence Jurisprudence, also known as theory of law or philosophy of law, is the examination in a general perspective of what law is and what it ought to be. It investigates issues such as the definition of law; legal validity; legal norms and values ...

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

and

natural sciences Natural science or empirical science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer ...

. In these fields, there was a contribution of Kledin Dobi in

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

; Haki Dobi in

finance Finance refers to monetary resources and to the study and Academic discipline, discipline of money, currency, assets and Liability (financial accounting), liabilities. As a subject of study, is a field of Business administration, Business Admin ...

; Arben Dobi and Drini Dobi in

health care Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...

. Also, successors of the Dobi family of Gjirokastra have been involved in Albanian politics, as is the case of

Bashkim Kopliku Bashkim Kopliku (15 July 1943 – 22 November 2020) was an Albanian politician. He served as Deputy Prime Minister of Albania from 1992 to 1995, a member of the Parliament of Albania during the period 1991-1997 and Chairman of the Parliamentar ...

, former

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...

and former

Minister of Internal Affairs An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...

of the

Republic of Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

, the oldest son of lady Kadrie Dobi a respected lecturer of History and a graduate of the University of Rome. Others have affirmed themselves in the field of literature, which includes the poetry of Nesibe Dobi, believed to be the first female poet of Albanian literature, and

Ismail Kadare Ismail Kadare (; 28 January 1936 – 1 July 2024) was an Albanian novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter and playwright. He was a leading international literary figure and intellectual, focusing on poetry until the publication of his first novel ...

an Albanian writer of world renown, and the son of lady Hatixhe Dobi.Donika Anxhaku & Zenel Anxhaku " 100 Familje Shqiptare", (

: Botimet KUMI, 2010), 84-86. Among many others, the following are some notable holders of the Dobi surname: * Nesibe Dobi, according to Robert Elsie she is considered the first female poet of Albanian literature, having written her first poems in 1897. * Hoxhë Dobi, popular poet of the 19th century and grandfather of

. * Haxhi Dobi, high-ranking military commander and chief of staff of

Ali Pashë Tepelena Ali Pasha (1740 – 24 January 1822), commonly known as Ali Pasha of Yanina or Ali Pasha of Tepelena, was an Albanian ruler who served as Ottoman pasha of the Pashalik of Yanina, a large part of western Rumelia. Under his rule, it acquired a h ...

. * Namik Dobi, high-ranking Ottoman military commander, educated in the then Military Academy of Istanbul. * Abdulla Dobi, educated in

and served as Ottoman Kadi of Kruja, Kavaja and

Peqin Peqin (, sq-definite, Peqini) is a town and municipality in Elbasan County, central Albania. The municipality was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Gjoçaj, Karinë, Pajovë, Peqin, Përparim, Pe ...

. * Basri Dobi, served as Ottoman Kadi of

in Turkey and

Bosra Bosra (), formerly Bostra () and officially called Busra al-Sham (), is a town in southern Syria, administratively belonging to the Daraa District of the Daraa Governorate and geographically part of the Hauran region. Bosra is an ancient cit ...

Siria Siria is a German trance group composed of singer Natalie Horler and producer DJ Manian, who have also collaborated with Cascada. The Siria project has had two singles released into the German and Canadian markets featuring the vocals of Natalie ...

. * Selman Dobi, educated in jurisprudence in Istanbul and served as Vice-Prefect of Tepelena until 1912. * Fejzi Dobi, educated in jurisprudence at the Sorbonne and renowned attorney during the 1930s. * Vejsel Dobi, educated in jurisprudence at the Ottoman University of

and served as Ottoman Imperial judge in the

Dardanelles The Dardanelles ( ; ; ), also known as the Strait of Gallipoli (after the Gallipoli peninsula) and in classical antiquity as the Hellespont ( ; ), is a narrow, natural strait and internationally significant waterway in northwestern Turkey th ...

, and following Albanian independence served as

trial judge A trial court or court of first instance is a court having original jurisdiction, in which trials take place. Appeals from the decisions of trial courts are usually heard by higher courts with the power of appellate review (appellate courts). ...

Kolonjë Kolonjë is a municipality in Korçë County, southeastern Albania. It was created in 2015 by the merger of the former municipalities Barmash, Çlirim, Ersekë, Leskovik, Mollas, Novoselë, Qendër Ersekë and Qendër Leskovik. The seat of ...

and

Elbasan Elbasan ( , ; sq-definite, Elbasani, ) is the fourth most populous city of Albania and seat of Elbasan County and Elbasan Municipality. It lies to the north of the river Shkumbin between the Skanderbeg Mountains and the Myzeqe Plain in centr ...

and as an inquisitorial judge in

Shkodër Shkodër ( , ; sq-definite, Shkodra; historically known as Scodra or Scutari) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, fifth-most-populous city of Albania and the seat of Shkodër County and Shkodër Municipality. Shkodër has been List of o ...

. * Servet Dobi, treasurer of the

Vatra, the Pan-Albanian Federation of America Vatra (') is an association of Albanian Americans, created in 1912, that has historically protected the rights of the Albanians in the United States, as well as has endeavored in lobbying with the United States Congress about the rights of the Alb ...

, during the 1930s. * Qemal Dobi, graduate of the Sorbonne in

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines and mechanism (engineering), mechanisms that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and engineering mathematics, mathematics principl ...

and renowned engineer. * Eqerem Dobi, architect and civil engineer, responsible for projecting the

Palace of Culture of Tirana The Palace of Culture of Tirana () houses the National Library of Albania as well as the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet. Situated in Skanderbeg Square, it was originally built on the ''Pazari i Vjetër'' () area of Tirana at the behest of ...

, Director of the Institute of Civil Project and later Head of Albanian Architecture Department at the Ministry of Infrastructure of Albania. * Agim Dobi, graduate of the

Charles University Charles University (CUNI; , UK; ; ), or historically as the University of Prague (), is the largest university in the Czech Republic. It is one of the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest universities in the world in conti ...

in Prague and professor of geology at the National Institute of Geology. * Gëzim Dobi, physicist and majority shareholder of Infosoft, one of the biggest IT corporations in Albania. * Ermal Dobi, attorney and former Deputy Minister of Justice of the

* Kledin Dobi,

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, mathematical structure, structure, space, Mathematica ...

, the

21517 Dobi Year 1517 ( MDXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 22 – Battle of Ridaniya: The Holy Ottoman army of the sultan Selim I defeats the Mamluk army in Egypt, command ...

microplanet was named after him. *

Tedi Dobi Tedi Dobi is an Albanian lawyer who from April 2024 has been Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Albania and Negotiator for Judiciary and Fundamental Rights during the process of integration of Albania to the European Union. Educati ...

, current Deputy Minister of Justice of the

Notable people

István Dobi István Dobi (; 31 December 1898 – 24 November 1968) was a Hungarian communist politician who was Prime Minister of Hungary from 1948 to 1952 and Chairman of the Presidential Council of the Hungarian People's Republic from 1952 to 1967. Ear ...

(1898–1968), Hungarian politician,

Prime Minister of Hungary The prime minister of Hungary () is the head of government of Hungary. The prime minister and the government of Hungary, Cabinet are collectively accountability, accountable for their policies and actions to the National Assembly (Hungary), Par ...

1948–1952 * Edina Dobi (born 1987), Hungarian volleyball player * Enkeleid Dobi (born 1975), Albanian footballer * Kledin Dobi (born 1988), Albanian–American mathematician, minor planet

is named after him

References

{{Surname

Etymology

Dobi surname in Albania

Notable Albanians with the Dobi surname

Notable people

See also

References