'doily' originates from English, specifically the proper name 'Doyley' (a 17th-century London draper's surname), where it referred to a kind of small cloth or fabric used for table purposes.

'doily' changed from the surname 'Doyley' used to denote a type of cloth in the 17th century and later came to mean small pieces of table linen; this usage evolved into the modern English word 'doily'.

Initially, it meant 'a kind of small rich/ornamental fabric or cloth', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a small decorative mat (often lace or paper) placed under plates or ornaments'.