Doerner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The German state of Bavaria is the ancestral home of the Doerner family. Doerner is a local name. Doerner is a name for someone who lived near a thorn-bush or hedge. The surname Doerner is derived from the German word dorn, which means thorn. Thus, the name was adopted by a person who lived near thorn bushes. The name Doerner also was used by people from Dornach, which is a town located near Munich in Bavaria. There is also a town named Dörnach in Tübingen, Westphalia and a city named Thorn (which is now Torun) in Poland. In Bavaria, the Doerner family lived on a feudal estate. Land proprietorship and management were the sole source of wealth and power in the Middle Ages and the Doerner family, as noble landowners, became prestigious members of the landed aristocracy.

Early Origins of the Doerner family

The surname Doerner was first found in Bavaria, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Doerner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Doerner research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1738, 1530, 1584, 1809, 1884, 1804, 1824 and 1825 are included under the topic Early Doerner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Doerner 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 Doerner include Dorn, Dorner, Doorn, Doern, Dorne, Dorns and others.

Early Notables of the Doerner family (pre 1700)

Prominent among members of the name Doerner in this period include Gerhard Dorn (c. 1530-1584), a Belgian philosopher, translator, alchemist, physician and bibliophile; and Isaac August Dorner (1809-1884), an important Lutheran theologian. Heinrich Ludwig Edmund Dorn was a very considerable musician of modern Germany, born at Königsberg, Prussia, Nov. 14, 1804. His turn for music showed itself early, and was duly encouraged and assisted, but not so as to interfere with his general education. He went through...
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Doerner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Doerner migration to the United States +

European migration to North America began in the mid-17th century and continued unabated until the mid-20th. Many Bavarians made the long trip to escape poverty or persecution based on their religious beliefs. The chance for tenant farmers to own their own land was also a major drawing card. They settled all across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many came to Canada also, settling in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Doerners to arrive in North America, and among them were:

Doerner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jacob Doerner, who landed in New York, NY in 1709 [1]
Maria Catharine Doerner, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1750 [1]

Doerner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry Doerner, aged 21, who arrived in Missouri in 1848 [1]

Doerner Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Micheal Friedrich George Doerner, who arrived in Arkansas in 1906 [1]

Contemporary Notables of the name Doerner (post 1700) +

William "Bill" G. Doerner (b. 1949), American professor in the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida State University
Wilfred O. "Gus" Doerner (1922-2001), American professional NBL basketball player, inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame
Max Doerner (1870-1939), German artist and art theorist, eponym of the Doerner Institute
Christine Doerner (b. 1952), Luxembourgish politician, advocate, and notary
Luke Doerner, Australian gold medalist field hockey player at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
Max Sebastian Doerner (1889-1967), Australian rugby league footballer played with Glebe for two seasons (1915-1916) and Eastern Suburbs in the 1917 season
Cynthia Doerner (b. 1951), née Sieler, an Australian former international tennis player who competed in the Australian Open four times in the 1970s

Citations +

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)