Dorraine
Of French origin meaning "feminine form of the name Dorian".
Name Census estimates that about 201 living Americans carry the first name Dorraine. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Dorraine today is around 63 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dorraine births was 1963 (37 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dorraine. 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.
People living today
201
~ 1 in 1,705,245 Americans
Peak year
1963
37 babies that year
Average age
63
years old
1974 SSA rank
#7,096
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Dorraine: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dorraine 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 196 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
Dorraine 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 Dorraine during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dorraines live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. New York, Ohio, Illinois recorded the most babies named Dorraine, while Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 7 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dorraine
Dorraine is a French feminine given name that emerged during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "dore," meaning "golden," and is thought to have ties to the Latin word "aureus," also meaning "golden." The name likely originated in regions of what is now modern-day France, where Old French was spoken.
Historically, the name Dorraine does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, its connection to the color gold and the idea of radiance or beauty may have been influenced by various cultural and artistic traditions that revered golden hues and sunlight.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Dorraine was a French noblewoman named Dorraine de Montfort, who lived in the 13th century. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her support of local monasteries.
In the late 16th century, a woman named Dorraine Delacour (1578-1642) gained recognition as a skilled lacemaker and embroiderer in the French city of Lyon. Her intricate works were prized by the aristocracy and contributed to the city's reputation for fine textiles.
During the 17th century, Dorraine Duval (1625-1691) was a notable French writer and philosopher. She published several influential works exploring themes of morality, virtue, and the human condition, earning her a place among the intellectual elite of her time.
In the 19th century, Dorraine Lecomte (1818-1892) was a celebrated French painter known for her vibrant landscape paintings and depictions of rural life. Her works were exhibited at the prestigious Paris Salon and are now held in various museum collections.
Another notable figure was Dorraine Broussard (1889-1972), a French-American chef and restaurateur who helped popularize Cajun and Creole cuisine in the United States. Her restaurant in New Orleans, Dorraine's, became a landmark destination for locals and visitors alike, renowned for its authentic flavors and warm hospitality.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Dorraine, highlighting its French origins and the diverse fields in which it has been represented, from the arts and literature to culinary traditions.
People
Dorraine + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dorraine 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
Dorraine: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dorraine?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 201 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dorraine 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 1,705,245 US residents.
Is Dorraine a common name?
We classify Dorraine as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 354 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dorraine most popular?
The single biggest year for Dorraine was 1963, when 37 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dorraine is about 63 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dorraine a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dorraine in the SSA data are female. 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.