Dorlan
A variant of the name Doran, of disputed origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 38 living Americans carry the first name Dorlan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dorlan today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dorlan births was 2016 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dorlan. 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 Dorlan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
38
~ 1 in 9,019,851 Americans
Peak year
2016
12 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2020 SSA rank
#10,972
Tracked since 1927
Popularity
Dorlan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dorlan from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 29 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dorlan 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 Dorlan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dorlan
The given name Dorlan is believed to have originated in the ancient Celtic language of the British Isles, dating back to the 5th century AD. The name is derived from the Proto-Celtic root word "dor," which means "door" or "gate," and the suffix "-lan," which signifies "land" or "territory." Thus, the name Dorlan can be interpreted as "door to the land" or "gatekeeper of the territory."
In the early medieval period, the name Dorlan was primarily used by the Celtic tribes inhabiting the regions of modern-day Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. It was a popular name among those who guarded the borders and entrances to their settlements, as it symbolized their role as protectors and gatekeepers of their lands.
The earliest known historical reference to the name Dorlan can be found in the Welsh Triads, a collection of traditional stories and legends from the 9th century. One of the triads mentions a warrior named Dorlan ap Maelgwn, who was renowned for his bravery in defending the borders of the Kingdom of Gwynedd against invaders.
Throughout the centuries, several notable figures have borne the name Dorlan. One of the earliest recorded examples is Dorlan of Strathclyde, a Scottish chieftain who lived in the 7th century and led his clan in battles against the invading Angles and Saxons. Another notable figure was Dorlan the Red, a 10th-century Irish warrior who fought alongside the legendary King Brian Boru at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.
In the 12th century, Dorlan de Ballinamore was a prominent Irish nobleman and landowner in County Leitrim, who was known for his patronage of the arts and his support for the preservation of Celtic culture. During the 14th century, Dorlan ap Gruffydd was a Welsh bard and poet who composed several influential works celebrating the heroic deeds of Welsh princes and warriors.
In more recent times, Dorlan Payton was a renowned American artist and sculptor in the early 20th century, known for his intricate bronze and marble works depicting scenes from Native American life. Dorlan Bale, born in 1923, was a British explorer and archaeologist who led several expeditions to uncover ancient Celtic settlements and artifacts in Wales and Scotland.
While the name Dorlan has become less common in modern times, it remains a symbol of the rich cultural heritage and history of the Celtic peoples, reflecting their values of strength, courage, and a deep connection to the land.
People
Dorlan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dorlan 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
Dorlan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dorlan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 38 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dorlan 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 9,019,851 US residents.
Is Dorlan a common name?
We classify Dorlan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 50.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 46 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dorlan most popular?
The single biggest year for Dorlan was 2016, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dorlan is about 16 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 Dorlan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dorlan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dorlan 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 Dorlan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dorlan 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 Dorlan 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 are called Dorlan?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.