dory n.1

"small, flat-bottomed boat," especially one sent out from a larger vessel to catch fish, 1709, American English, perhaps from a West Indian or Central American Indian language.

popular name of a type of edible marine fish, mid-14c., from Old French doree, originally the fem. past participle of dorer "to gild," from Latin deauratus, past participle of deaurare, from de-, here probably intensive, + aurare "to gild," from aurum (see aureate). So called in reference to its coloring.

The variety of dory called a John Dory (Zeus astralis) is by 1701. The name also applies to the subject of a folk song (by 1590s, maybe 1560s) and was used to anglicize the name of Admiral Gianandrea Doria (1539-1606.)