Doerr History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The historical and enchanting region of Austria is the ancient homeland of the distinguished Doerr 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 Doerr family

The surname Doerr 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 Doerr family

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

Doerr 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 Doerr include Dorr, Doerr, Dor, Doer, Dorrs, Dors, Dorrer, Doerrer, Deorrie and many more.

Early Notables of the Doerr family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Doerr were

Balthasar, Nickl, and Hans von Doerr, three brothers who were present at the Hungarian assembly of 1446 to elect the governor

Doerr Ranking

In the United States, the name Doerr is the 5,312^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [1]

Doerr 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 Doerr or a variant listed above:

Doerr Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johann Heinrich Doerr, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1742 [2]
Johann Henrich Doerr, who landed in America in 1742 [2]
Mrs. Nicholas Doerr, who arrived in America in 1742 [2]
Adam Doerr, who arrived in America in 1749 [2]
Conrad Doerr, who arrived in New York, NY in 1782 [2]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Doerr Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jacob Doerr, who arrived in New York in 1843 [2]
Henry Doerr, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1847 [2]
Lewis Doerr, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1847 [2]
Mr. Carl Doerr, aged 41, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1848 aboard the ship "Canapus"
Mr. Ludwig Doerr, aged 22, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1848 aboard the ship "Canapus"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Doerr (post 1700) +

Robert Pershing Doerr (1918-2017), American Major League Baseball second baseman and coach; he played for the Boston Red Sox from 1937 to 1951
Susan Elizabeth Doerr (b. 1945), American Olympic gold medalist swimmer
Anthony Doerr (b. 1973), American fiction writer
L. John Doerr (b. 1951), American venture capitalist, Forbes ranks him as the 540th richest person in the world

The Doerr 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)