DORRIAN
Dorrian is a surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic Ó Doirín, meaning “descendant of Doirín”. The personal name Doirín is a diminutive of the Irish word dorcha, which translates to “dark” or “obscure”, indicating that the original bearer was noted for dark or mysterious features.
The name has several Anglicised forms, including Dorran, O’Deoradhain and the modern Irish O’ Deorain. The Gaelic prefix Ó indicates a male descendant, and the root deoradh means “exile, wanderer or stranger”. Thus, some bearers of the name were originally identified as “the stranger” or “the wanderer”.
Dorrians were one of the seven septs of Leix, a province in former Leinster. Alongside the septs of O’ Doran, O’ Devoy, O’ Dowling, McEvoy, O’ Kelly, O’ Lalor and O’ Moore they were recognised as the great Brehan family of Leinster. The word brehan refers to the Gaelic legal system in force before the Norman Invasion, a field in which the Dorrians were reputed experts. Contemporary records show that they possessed three manuscript copies of the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick for several generations.
In the mid‑sixteenth century Dorrians held land in Waterford, including a locality that became known as Doransland. Early documented instances of the surname include Maurice Doran, Bishop of Leighlin, whose name is recorded in 1523 and who was murdered during the reign of King Henry V. Branches of the sept later settled in Ulster, notably in the Counties of Armagh and Down.
The earliest clear reference to the Dorrian name in Ireland dates back to the fifteenth century, after the migration of two brothers, John and Peter Dorrian, from Scotland to County Derry. Although the family is most commonly associated with Ireland and the United Kingdom today, Dorrians can also be found in Canada, the United States and Australia, a distribution that reflects the wider pattern of Irish emigration during the nineteenth century.
Throughout the centuries several Dorrians have attained prominence. John Dorrian was a noted landowner and miller in County Derry, while his grandson, Sir Patrick Lynch Dorrian, distinguished himself as a lawyer and political campaigner in the nineteenth century. Other notable bearers appear in the primary historical record, including the bishop and various antiquarians connected with the sept of Leix.
While the surname remains relatively uncommon in the United States, it has gained increasing frequency in the United Kingdom and in parts of the Commonwealth. In Ireland it is still most often found in County Cork, County Clare and Dublin, reflecting its deep-rooted historical presence in those regions.
Typical given names associated with the Dorrian surname
Male
- Andrew
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Patrick
- Paul
- Robert
- Sam
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Alison
- Ann
- Anne
- Brenda
- Catherine
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Margaret
- Maria
- Marie
- Mary
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Dorrian in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 918 people named Dorrian in the UK. That makes it roughly the 7,878th most common surname in Britain. Around 14 in a million people in Britain are named Dorrian.
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Dorrian
- Lee Dorrian - Singer
- Leeona Dorrian, Lady Dorrian - Judge
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.