Dorrance History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Dorrance family
The surname Dorrance was first found in Stirlingshire. The name is a habitation name from either East Kilbride or north of Glasgow where it is derived from the Gaelic word "torran" which means "hillock" or "mound" or "little hills." 1
"John Torrance is recorded in Nethir Cloychtquharne in 1555, and John Torrance was a tenant of Newbattle Abbey in 1563. The name also occurs in Edinburgh in 1561 as Torrens. David Torrance (1840-1906), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Connecticut, U. S., was born in Edinburgh." 2
Early History of the Dorrance family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dorrance research. Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1563, 1690, 1780, 1864 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Dorrance History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dorrance Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Torrance, Torrens, Torrence and others.
Early Notables of the Dorrance family
More information is included under the topic Early Dorrance Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dorrance Ranking
In the United States, the name Dorrance is the 18,253rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3
Migration of the Dorrance family to Ireland
Some of the Dorrance family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 123 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Dorrance family
Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: John Torrence arrived in Philadelphia in 1828; followed by James in 1868; Adam Torrens settled in Philadelphia in 1828; Aaron in 1823; Alexander in 1848.
Contemporary Notables of the name Dorrance (post 1700) +
- John Thompson Dorrance (1873-1930), American chemist and president of the Campbell Soup Company from 1914 to 1930
- Arthur Calbraith Dorrance (1893-1946), American president of the Campbell Soup Company from 1930 to 1946
- Anson Dorrance (b. 1951), American soccer coach recognized by the NCAA as the Women's Soccer Coach of the Year seven times
- Dorrance "Dodo" Hill Hamilton (1928-2017), American heiress of the Campbell Soup fortune and philanthropist
- Dorrance Reynolds, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania, 1920 4
- Dorrance Dibell, American politician, Circuit Judge in Illinois 12th Circuit, 1919 5
- Dorrance Kirtland (1770-1840), American politician, Representative from New York 8th District, 1817-19; State Court Judge in New York, 1828 6
Citations +
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- 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/
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html