Dorr History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The historical and enchanting region of Austria is the ancient homeland of the distinguished Dorr family. Austria, which was originally home to a Celtic people, was conquered by the Roman Empire in about 15 BC. Following the fall of Rome, Austria was repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, such as the Vandals, Visigoths, and Huns, who swept in from the east. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Alemanni, Avars and Slavs settled Austria. The Avars were defeated in 785 by the Frankish emperor Charlemagne, who set up the East Mark, which later became known as the Österreich. Austria was ruled by the Babenburger dynasty until 1278, when they were succeeded by the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria until the 20th century.

Early Origins of the Dorr family

The surname Dorr was first found in Austria, where the name could be considered to have made a major contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses in Austria and Germany which played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, each group supremacy in a changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Dorr family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dorr research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1446 is included under the topic Early Dorr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dorr Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Dorr include Dorr, Doerr, Dor, Doer, Dorrs, Dors, Dorrer, Doerrer, Deorrie and many more.

Early Notables of the Dorr family

Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dorr Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dorr Ranking

In the United States, the name Dorr is the 6,085^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Dorr migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Dorr or a variant listed above:

Dorr Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Dorr, who arrived in Virginia in 1661 2
Edward Dorr, who arrived in Rowley, Massachusetts in 1674 2
Edward Dorr, who landed in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1683 2

Dorr Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Michael Dorr, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 2
Johann Henrich Dorr, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1742 2
Johannes Dorr, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 2
Johan Jost Dorr, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 2
Adam Dorr, who landed in America in 1749 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dorr Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Frederick Dorr, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1803 2
Edward Dorr, who arrived in New York in 1824 2
Edward Dorr, who landed in New York in 1824 2
Karl Dorr, who arrived in North America in 1843 2
Philip Dorr, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1844
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dorr (post 1700) +

Thomas Wilson Dorr (1805-1854), American politician and reformer, leader of the Dorr Rebellion, (1841-1842)
Robert F. Dorr (b. 1939), American diplomat and author
Richard Everett Dorr (1943-2013), United States federal judge for US District Court for Western Missouri (2002-2013)
Ebenezer P. Dorr (1817-1882), American mariner and meteorologist
Lester Dorr (1893-1980), American film actor
Hans Dorr (1912-1945), German Waffen-SS Obersturmbannführer
Gustav Dorr (1887-1928), German World War I fighter pilot, recipient of the Military Merit Cross and Iron Cross
Franz Dorr (1913-1972), German World War II fighter ace, recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Franz Dörr, German fighter pilot and flying ace in the Luftwaffe, during World War II, credited with 128 aerial victories, awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Dorr Felt (1862-1930), American inventor of the Comptometer, an early computing device and the Comptograph, the first printing adding machine

The Dorr Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Ad majorem dei gloriam
Motto Translation: For the greater glory of God

Citations +

"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)