Why were American Soldiers, in World War 1, called Doughboys?

Hello Highstakes-ga,

"Doughboy" was a slang term for an American infantryman in World War
I. and there is some speculation as to the origin of the term.

I located a detailed report “The Origins of Doughboy” by Michael E.
Hanlon where the many theories in relation to the term “doughboy” are
explained.
World War 1 Website
http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/origindb.htm

The Baked Goods Theory:
“One suggestion is that doughboys were named such because of their
method of cooking their rations. Meals were often doughy flour and
rice concoctions either baked in the ashes of a camp fire or shaped
around a bayonet and cooked over the flames.”
Source: World War 1 Website
http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/origindb.htm

The Button Theory:
“U.S. infantrymen wore coats with unique, globular brass buttons. In
one variation of this theory the buttons are said to reminiscent of
the doughboy dumplings eaten by the soldiers and sailors of earlier
days and which possibly had become part of American cuisine. In
another variation, drawing additionally on the Baked Goods Theory, it
is said that the product of the infantrymen's cooking efforts came to
resemble the buttons on their uniforms.”
Source: World War 1 Website
http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/origindb.htm

The Pipe Clay Theory:
“During the 19th Century American enlisted men used a fine whitish
clay called pipe clay to give "polish" to their uniforms and belts. It
was a less than perfect appearance enhancer, however; in rainy weather
the saturated clay came to look doughie."
Source: World War 1 Website
http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/origindb.htm

The Adobe Theory:
“In a nutshell - in marching over the parched terrain of the deserts
of Northern Mexico the infantry stirred up so much dust that they took
on the look of the abode buildings of the region -- hence, after a few
phonetic adjustments "adobes" "dobies" "doughboys". The cavalrymen who
rode horses, the artillerists who rode caissons and the quartermasters
who rode wagons were all mounted above the worst of the dust cloud.”
Source: World War 1 Website
http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/origindb.htm

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I hope you find this helpful.

Best Regards,

Bobbie7-ga

Thank you very much. Your answer is excellent. And thorough. Norman ****