Show ContentsDorme History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The French region of Forez is where Dorme was first used as a surname. Dorme was a name for a person who lived near an elm tree, having derived its origin from the Old French word "orme," meaning "elm tree." 1

Early Origins of the Dorme family

The surname Dorme was first found in Forez, a former province of France, now part of the modern Loire, the Haute-Loire and Puy-de-Dôme departments, where the family had an integral role in the social and cultural aspects of the region.

Early History of the Dorme family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dorme research. Another 178 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1570, 1613 and 1650 are included under the topic Early Dorme History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dorme Spelling Variations

Most surnames have experienced slight spelling changes. A son may not chose to spell his name the same way that his father did. Many were errors, many deliberate. During the early development of the French language, a person usually gave his version, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Prefixes or suffixes varied. They were optional as they passed through the centuries, or were adopted by different branches to signify either a political or religious adherence. Hence, there a many spelling variations of the name Dorme, including Delorme, DeLorme, Delormes, DeLormes, Delourmes, DeLourmes, Delormeau, Dorme, de l'Orme, De l'Orme and many more.

Early Notables of the Dorme family

More information is included under the topic Early Dorme Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Dorme migration to the United States +

In 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Migration was slow. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Dorme has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Dorme were

Dorme Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Philip Dorme, aged 34, who landed in New York in 1644 2


  1. Dionne, N.-E., Origine Des Familles Canadiennes-Français. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1969. Print.
  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)


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