Show ContentsDoren History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Gaelic is at the heart of all the Irish surnames that can be found throughout the world today. The original Gaelic form of the name Doren is Ó Deoradhain, which was later shortened to Ó Deorain. Both names are probably derived from the word deoradh, referring to an exile. 1

Early Origins of the Doren family

The surname Doren was first found in Leix (Irish: Laois) formerly known as Queen's County, located in central Ireland, in Leinster Province, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Doren family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Doren research. Another 212 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1523, 1540, 1807, 1814, 1835, 1878, 1885 and 1909 are included under the topic Early Doren History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Doren Spelling Variations

The search for the origins of the name Doren family name revealed numerous spelling variations. These variants can be somewhat accounted for when it is realized that before widespread literacy people only recognized their name by pronunciation; it was up to scribes to decide how it was to be formally recorded. Variations found include Doran, Dorran, O'Doran, O'Deorain, Dorain, Doron and others.

Early Notables of the Doren family

Notable among the family name at this time was Maurice Doran, Bishop of Leighlin who was murdered by his archdeacon in 1523; Charles Guilfoyle Doran (1835-1909), Irish...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Doren Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Doren migration to the United States +

The 18th century saw the slow yet steady emigration of Irish families to British North America and the United States. Those early Irish settlers that left their homeland were typically moderately well off: they were enticed by the promise of a sizable plot of land. However, by the 1840s, this pattern of immigration was gone: immigrants to North America were seeking refuge from the starvation and disease that the Great Potato Famine of that decade brought. The great numbers of Irish that arrived to the United States and the soon to be Canada were instrumental in their quick development as powerful industrial nations. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists uncovered many early immigrants bearing the name Doren:

Doren Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johannes Doren, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1751 2
  • Christian Doren, who landed in America in 1783 2
Doren Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Georg Doren, aged 38, who arrived in New York, NY in 1849 2
  • J Doren, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
  • Henry Doren, aged 20, who landed in New York in 1854 2
  • Michael Doren, who arrived in Illinois in 1856-1864 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Doren (post 1700) +

  • Peter V. D. Van Doren, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Somerset County, 1897-98 3
  • Kenneth P. Van Doren, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Wisconsin 3rd District, 1982 3


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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