| ![Show Contents]() Dorr History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Dorr was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Dorr 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 Dorr familyThe surname Dorr 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 Dorr familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dorr research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dorr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Dorr Spelling VariationsSpelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Dorr have been found, including Dore, Dorey, Dory, Dorie, Doar, Doare, Doore, Doorey, Doorie and many more. Early Notables of the Dorr familyMore information is included under the topic Early Dorr Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Dorr RankingIn the United States, the name Dorr is the 6,085th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3  Migration of the Dorr family to Ireland
Some of the Dorr 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.
| Dorr migration to the United States | + |
For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Dorr were among those contributors:
Dorr Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Thomas Dorr, who arrived in Virginia in 1661 4
- Edward Dorr, who arrived in Rowley, Massachusetts in 1674 4
- Edward Dorr, who landed in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1683 4
Dorr Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Michael Dorr, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 4
- Johann Henrich Dorr, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1742 4
- Johannes Dorr, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 4
- Johan Jost Dorr, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 4
- Adam Dorr, who landed in America in 1749 4
- ... (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 4
- Edward Dorr, who arrived in New York in 1824 4
- Edward Dorr, who landed in New York in 1824 4
- Karl Dorr, who arrived in North America in 1843 4
- 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
- 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/
- 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)
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Dorr migration to the United States 
England
Germany
Ireland
