Dorn
Of German origin, meaning thorn or bramble.
Name Census estimates that about 150 living Americans carry the first name Dorn. It is a predominantly male name (94.9% of registrations). The average person named Dorn today is around 69 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dorn births was 1964 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dorn. 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
- • The typical person named Dorn is about 69 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Dorns were born before 1967.
People living today
150
~ 1 in 2,285,029 Americans
Peak year
1964
13 babies that year
Average age
69
years old
1975 SSA rank
#5,701
Tracked since 1921
Gender
Gender distribution for Dorn
Dorn leans heavily male at 94.9% of total registrations, but 12 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Dorn as a male name
- Ranked #5,701 in 1975
- 5 male births in 1975
- Peak: 1957 (11 births)
Dorn as a female name
- Ranked #7,294 in 1968
- 5 female births in 1968
- Peak: 1964 (7 births)
Popularity
Dorn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dorn from the 1920s through to the 1970s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 72 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dorn 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 Dorn 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 Dorn
The name Dorn is of German origin, derived from the Old High German word "dorn," meaning "thorn" or "bramble." It is believed to have emerged as a surname in the Middle Ages, likely given to individuals who lived near thorny bushes or worked as gardeners or horticulturists.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dorn can be found in the Nibelungenlied, a medieval German epic poem dating back to the 13th century. In this literary work, a character named Dorn is mentioned as a knight in the service of King Gunther.
During the Renaissance period, the name Dorn gained prominence in Germany and neighboring regions. Notable individuals bearing this name include the German botanist and physician Gerhard Dorn (1530-1584), who made significant contributions to the study of plants and their medicinal properties.
In the realm of religion, the name Dorn is associated with the German theologian and Protestant reformer Johann Dorn (1508-1565), who played a role in the Reformation movement and the spread of Protestantism in Germany.
Jumping forward to the 19th century, one of the most renowned figures with the name Dorn was the German composer and conductor Heinrich Dorn (1800-1892), who served as the Kapellmeister (music director) at the Berlin Court Opera and composed several operas and orchestral works.
Another notable figure from this era was the German-American architect and engineer Carl Ferdinand Dorn (1828-1905), who designed several prominent buildings in New Orleans, including the St. Louis Cathedral and the Pontalba Buildings in Jackson Square.
In the 20th century, the name Dorn gained recognition in the literary world through the American novelist and screenwriter Philip Kern Dorn (1901-1964), best known for his novels "The Last Fortress" and "Christ in Concrete."
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the name Dorn throughout history, reflecting its German origins and its presence across various fields, including literature, music, religion, and architecture.
People
Dorn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dorn 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
Dorn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dorn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 150 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dorn 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 2,285,029 US residents.
Is Dorn a common name?
We classify Dorn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 237 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dorn most popular?
The single biggest year for Dorn was 1964, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dorn is about 69 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dorn a male name?
Yes, 94.9% of people registered as Dorn 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.
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.