Dorr
Person with an alert and watchful nature, derived from Middle English and Old French.
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Dorr. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dorr today is around 89 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dorr births was 1915 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dorr. 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 Dorr is about 89 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Dorrs were born before 1947.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dorr. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1915
14 babies that year
Average age
89
years old
1947 SSA rank
#3,875
Tracked since 1887
Popularity
Dorr: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dorr from the 1880s through to the 1940s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 57 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dorr 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 Dorr during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dorrs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Dorr
The given name Dorr is believed to have originated from the Old English word "dor", which means a door or entrance. It is a relatively uncommon name, and its usage can be traced back to the Middle Ages in parts of England and Scotland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dorr is found in the Domesday Book, a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Dorr de Wulfpit, suggesting that the name was in use during the Norman period.
In the 13th century, there are records of a Dorr de Wyntoun, a Scottish chronicler and poet who lived from around 1280 to 1350. He is known for his metrical chronicle, the Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland, which provides valuable insights into the history and culture of medieval Scotland.
Another notable figure with the name Dorr was Dorr Rebellion leader Thomas Wilson Dorr (1805-1854), who led an armed insurrection in Rhode Island in 1842, advocating for broader voting rights and challenging the state's restrictive voting laws. Although the rebellion was ultimately unsuccessful, it brought attention to the issue of voting rights and influenced future reforms.
In the literary realm, Dorr Lessel (1884-1963) was an American author and journalist who wrote several novels and short stories in the early 20th century. Some of his notable works include "The Man Who Lived Next Door" and "The Ninth Story."
Moving forward in time, Dorr Felt (1923-2017) was an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Taco Bell restaurant chain in 1962. He played a pivotal role in the growth and expansion of the company, which became one of the largest fast-food chains in the world.
While the name Dorr is relatively uncommon today, it holds a rich history and has been borne by individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from literature and chronicles to political activism and entrepreneurship.
People
Dorr + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dorr 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
Dorr: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dorr?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dorr 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Dorr a common name?
We classify Dorr as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 124 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dorr most popular?
The single biggest year for Dorr was 1915, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dorr is about 89 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dorr a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dorr 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.