Dorgan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The ancestors of the name Dorgan are thought to have come from the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. Dorgan was used to indicate someone who worked as a door attendant. The name is also a nickname type of surname derived from the Old English word deore, which means "beloved", and "man"

Early Origins of the Dorgan family

The surname Dorgan was first found in Fife, the name Dorman is derived from the word door-ward. This official hereditary position involved being the door attendant to the King of Scotland. The office of door-ward to the king was a very honorable one and was passed on in the powerful family of de Lundin Fife. The first who took his name from this office was Thomas de Lundyn in 1204. His son, Alan Durward, was one of the greatest names in Scottish history in the thirteenth century. 1

Early History of the Dorgan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dorgan research. Another 214 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1228, 1452, 1478, 1511, 1572, 1636 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Dorgan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dorgan Spelling Variations

In the Middle Ages, the translation between Gaelic and English was not a highly developed process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and so, an enormous number of spelling variations appear in records of early Scottish names. Dorgan has appeared as Dorman, Dorward, Doorman, Durward and others.

Early Notables of the Dorgan family

Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dorgan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dorgan Ranking

In the United States, the name Dorgan is the 16,563^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Dorgan family to Ireland

Some of the Dorgan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dorgan migration to the United States +

Many of the ancestors of Dalriadan families who arrived in North America still live in communities along the east coast of Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence many of the original settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the ancestors of many Scots began recovering their collective national heritage through Clan societies, highland games, and other patriotic events. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Dorgan or a variant listed above:

Dorgan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Dorgan, who landed in Tippecanoe County, Ind in 1849 3
Con Dorgan, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1880 3

Dorgan migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Dorgan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Eliza Dorgan, aged 21, a servant, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Gainsborough" in 1878 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Dorgan (post 1700) +

Richard W. Dorgan (1892-1953), American cartoonist, known published work appeared in The New York Call in 1913
Micahel "Mike" Dorgan (1853-1909), American baseball player and manager who played 10 seasons in Major League Baseball, principally as an outfielder
Joseph "Joe" Dorgan (b. 1975), American professional wrestler and personal trainer, known by his ring name Johnny Swinger
John L. "Ike" Dorgan (b. 1879), American boxing manager, and publicity manager for the Madison Square Garden, founding partner of The Ring magazine
Jeremiah F. "Jerry" Dorgan (1856-1891), American baseball player who played from 1879 to 1887
Howard Dorgan (1932-2012), American academic known for his research and writing on religion in Appalachia
Thomas Aloysius "Tad" Dorgan (1877-1929), American cartoonist who signed his drawings as Tad
Byron Leslie Dorgan (b. 1942), American author, businessman, and former United States Senator and United States Representative from North Dakota
Theo Dorgan (b. 1953), Irish poet, writer and lecturer
Seán Dorgan (b. 1968), Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as General Secretary of Fianna Fáil since June 2007
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 3rd November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html