Dorey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Dorey was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Dorey family lived in Herefordshire. The family settled in Dore in that county, and it is from this location that their surname derives.
Early Origins of the Dorey family
The surname Dorey was first found in Herefordshire at Dore Abbey, a former Cistercian abbey in the village of Abbey Dore in the Golden Valley. The abbey was founded in 1147 by Robert fitzHarold of Ewyas, the Lord of Ewyas Harold, and derives it name from the River Dore, a Celtic river-name meaning "the waters." 1
"This parish derives its name from its situation on the river Dore, and from an abbey of White or Cistercian monks, founded here in the reign of Stephen, by Robert, son of Harold, Lord of Ewyas, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St. Edmund." 2
Dore is also a village in South Yorkshire which is listed in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle c. 829 when King Egbert of Wessex led his army to the village to receive the submission of King Eanred of Northumbria. Some claim that Egbert became the first king of England at Dore. Today the "Dore Stone," located on the village green commemorates King Egbert's victory.
Early History of the Dorey family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dorey research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dorey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dorey Spelling Variations
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Dore, Dorey, Dory, Dorie, Doar, Doare, Doore, Doorey, Doorie and many more.
Early Notables of the Dorey family
More information is included under the topic Early Dorey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dorey Ranking
In the United States, the name Dorey is the 13,804th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3 However, in France, the name Dorey is ranked the 5,465th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 4
Migration of the Dorey family to Ireland
Some of the Dorey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dorey migration to the United States +
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Dorey or a variant listed above:
Dorey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Bryant Dorey, who landed in Virginia in 1720 5
Dorey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- James Dorey, who arrived in the United States of America in 1831
- K. Dorey, 24, who settled in New York, New York in 1860
- Kate Dorey, aged 20, who landed in America, in 1895
Dorey Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Martin Dorey, aged 24, who landed in America from Wesford, in 1904
- Arthur Dorey, who landed in America, in 1904
- Gilbert Dorey, aged 18, who immigrated to the United States from Guernsey, Channel Islands, in 1904
- Hanna Dorey, aged 6, who immigrated to America, in 1905
- Charles Ed. Dorey, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from Wigan, in 1905
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Dorey migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Dorey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. John Dorey, British Convict who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for life, transported aboard the "Caledonia" on 5th July 1820, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
- Mr. James Dorey, (b. 1805), aged 26, English agricultural labourer who was convicted in Sussex, England for 7 years for machine breaking, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 2nd February 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1847 7
- Joshua Dorey, aged 19, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Sibella" 8
- Harriett Dorey, aged 20, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Oriental,"
- James Dorey, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Sumner"
Contemporary Notables of the name Dorey (post 1700) +
- Henry Vaughan Dorey (1871-1955), English owner of Morland Press, London and editor of the weekly magazine Lawn Tennis and Badminton
- Jerry Dorey (1951-1993), English-born, member of the States of Jersey 1993-2005
- Lewis Hugh John Dorey (1901-1958), English cricketer, son of Henry Vaughan Dorey
- Jean Dorey (1831-1872), Norman language writer from Jersey
- Sir Graham Martyn Dorey (b. 1932), Bailiff of Guernsey (1992 to 1999)
- Brett Raymond Dorey (b. 1977), Australian cricketer
- Robert James "Jim" Dorey (b. 1947), Canadian retired professional NHL ice hockey player from Kingston, Ontario
- Edward Dorey, Judge of the Royal Court of Jersey
Historic Events for the Dorey family +
- Master John S. Dorey (1917-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 9
Senghenydd colliery
- Mr. Mathew Henry Dorey (b. 1892), Welsh coal miner from Senghenydd, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died
Citations +
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- 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)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
- South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SIBELLA 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/sibella1852.shtml
- Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance