Dorjan
An Albanian masculine name from the Greek word 'dorea', meaning 'gift'.
Name Census estimates that about 14 living Americans carry the first name Dorjan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dorjan today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dorjan births was 1975 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dorjan. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dorjan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
14
~ 1 in 24,482,453 Americans
Peak year
1975
5 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
1978 SSA rank
#6,072
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Dorjan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Dorjan by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Dorjan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 15 | 0 | 15 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Dorjan
The name Dorjan is of Albanian origin, derived from the ancient Illyrian language spoken by the Illyrian tribes who inhabited the western Balkans during antiquity. It is believed to have originated from the Illyrian word "dor," meaning "hand," and "jan," meaning "to be" or "to exist." The name can be interpreted to mean "one who exists" or "the existing one."
Dorjan was a popular name among the Illyrian people, and it is mentioned in several ancient texts and inscriptions found in the regions of modern-day Albania, Montenegro, and parts of Croatia and Serbia. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 4th century BCE, when the Illyrians were at the height of their power and influence in the Balkan region.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Dorjan was an Illyrian chieftain who led a revolt against the Roman Empire in the 2nd century BCE. Although little is known about his life, his defiance against the Roman rule has been documented in historical records.
In the 5th century CE, a notable figure named Dorjan was a prominent scholar and philosopher who lived in the city of Dyrrachium (modern-day Durrës, Albania). He was renowned for his writings on philosophy, ethics, and the Illyrian culture, though unfortunately, most of his works have been lost to time.
During the medieval period, the name Dorjan was prevalent among the Albanian nobility and aristocracy. One of the most famous individuals with this name was Dorjan Kastrioti, a 15th-century Albanian nobleman and military commander who played a crucial role in the defense of Albanian lands against the Ottoman Empire.
Another notable figure was Dorjan Gjini, a 16th-century Albanian poet and writer who contributed significantly to the development of Albanian literature. His works, including poems and epic tales, have been preserved and are considered important cultural artifacts of the Albanian Renaissance.
In the 19th century, Dorjan Biba was an Albanian scholar and linguist who dedicated his life to the study and preservation of the Albanian language. He played a vital role in the codification of the modern Albanian alphabet and the standardization of the language.
While the name Dorjan has its roots in ancient Illyrian culture, it has endured over the centuries and remains a popular name among Albanians today, serving as a reminder of their rich cultural heritage and historical legacy.
People
Dorjan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dorjan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Dorjan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dorjan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dorjan going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 24,482,453 US residents.
Is Dorjan a common name?
We classify Dorjan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 34% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dorjan most popular?
The single biggest year for Dorjan was 1975, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dorjan is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Dorjan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dorjan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dorjan in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Dorjan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dorjan in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Dorjan can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Dorjan?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.