Most US Dees researchers trace their lineage to Emanuel Dees who was born around 1675 in Monikie, Angus, Scotland, immigrated to Virginia before 1700, resided in James City County Virginia by 1703, and died in Isle of Wight County in 1722.

While Emanuel Dees is among the earliest documented individuals with this surname in the colonies, it's challenging to confirm definitively if he was the very first. Colonial records from that era are often incomplete, and other individuals with the Dees surname may have arrived around the same period. However, Emanuel Dees is the earliest known ancestor of many Dees families in America today. (Geni)

It's worth noting that the surname Dees has multiple origins, including Scottish and Dutch. In Scotland, it is associated with the River Dee, while in Dutch, it may be a patronymic derived from a short form of the personal name Desiderius.