NameCensus.

UK surname

Dorman

An occupational surname for a doorkeeper or gatekeeper, derived from the Old English word "duru" meaning door.

In the 1881 census there were 964 people recorded with the Dorman surname, ranking it #4,027 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,557, ranked #3,979, up from #4,027 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Warehorne, Orlestone and Uppingham, Beaumont Chase. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rutland, Thanet and Largs Central and Cumbrae.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dorman is 1,648 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.5%.

1881 census count

964

Ranked #4,027

Modern count

1,557

2016, ranked #3,979

Peak year

1999

1,648 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dorman had 964 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,027 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,557 in 2016, ranked #3,979.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,184 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Dorman surname distribution map

The map shows where the Dorman surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Dorman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dorman over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 524 #4,784
1861 historical 565 #4,654
1881 historical 964 #4,027
1891 historical 964 #4,289
1901 historical 1,184 #4,138
1911 historical 1,100 #4,221
1997 modern 1,542 #3,818
1998 modern 1,623 #3,789
1999 modern 1,648 #3,765
2000 modern 1,621 #3,803
2001 modern 1,579 #3,824
2002 modern 1,629 #3,780
2003 modern 1,595 #3,773
2004 modern 1,551 #3,879
2005 modern 1,521 #3,904
2006 modern 1,530 #3,893
2007 modern 1,546 #3,883
2008 modern 1,549 #3,903
2009 modern 1,584 #3,912
2010 modern 1,625 #3,907
2011 modern 1,610 #3,897
2012 modern 1,595 #3,858
2013 modern 1,628 #3,858
2014 modern 1,628 #3,881
2015 modern 1,591 #3,921
2016 modern 1,557 #3,979

Geography

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Where Dormans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Warehorne, Orlestone, Uppingham, Beaumont Chase and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rutland, Thanet, Largs Central and Cumbrae, Isle of Wight and Kirklees. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Warehorne, Orlestone Kent
3 Uppingham, Beaumont Chase Rutland
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rutland 005 Rutland
2 Thanet 012 Thanet
3 Largs Central and Cumbrae North Ayrshire
4 Isle of Wight 009 Isle of Wight
5 Kirklees 053 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dorman

These lists show first names that appear often with the Dorman surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dorman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dorman, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Dorman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Dorman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dorman is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dorman is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dorman falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dorman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Dorman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dorman

The surname DORMAN is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "dor" meaning door and "mann" meaning man, thus referring to the occupation of a doorkeeper or gatekeeper. It likely emerged during the medieval period in England, around the 12th or 13th century.

The name was most prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire, where many early records of the surname can be found. Variations in spelling include Dorman, Doreman, Dorrman, and Dorreman.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1275, which mentions a Richard Dorreman. The Subsidy Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1327 also list a John Dorman.

In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the name was William Dorman, a prominent merchant and landowner from Bristol, who was recorded in various legal documents and property records between 1360 and 1390.

The Dorman surname also appears in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, the specific individuals mentioned are not clearly identified.

During the 16th century, a prominent figure was John Dorman (c. 1510 - c. 1580), an English Catholic priest and theologian who fled to Flanders during the Reformation and wrote several treatises defending the Catholic faith.

In the 17th century, Thomas Dorman (1618 - 1688) was a renowned English Puritan minister and author, known for his book "The Revived Doctrines of the Protestant Religion."

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Robert Dorman (1650 - 1726), a wealthy English merchant and landowner who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1707.

In the 19th century, Ebenezer Dorman (1809 - 1880) was an American engineer and inventor who contributed to the development of early typewriters and mechanical calculators.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the surname DORMAN, which has its roots in the medieval English occupation of doorkeepers and gatekeepers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dorman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dorman surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 147 Dormans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.56x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 147 1.56x
Lanarkshire 88 2.90x
Durham 71 2.54x
Kent 68 2.12x
Lancashire 59 0.53x
Yorkshire 38 0.41x
Norfolk 34 2.35x
Leicestershire 33 3.17x
Warwickshire 33 1.39x
Wigtownshire 33 26.46x
Northamptonshire 30 3.40x
Sussex 30 1.89x
Essex 26 1.40x
Hertfordshire 24 3.71x
Staffordshire 21 0.66x
Surrey 21 0.46x
Ayrshire 20 2.84x
Northumberland 20 1.43x
Lincolnshire 19 1.27x
Cheshire 18 0.87x
Devon 18 0.92x
Rutland 15 21.75x
Cumberland 13 1.61x
Huntingdonshire 10 5.36x
Glamorgan 9 0.55x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.71x
Stirlingshire 8 2.31x
Berkshire 7 0.99x
Hampshire 7 0.36x
Midlothian 7 0.56x
Renfrewshire 6 0.82x
Suffolk 4 0.35x
Monmouthshire 3 0.44x
Worcestershire 3 0.24x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.35x
Cornwall 2 0.19x
Wiltshire 2 0.24x
Bedfordshire 1 0.21x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.17x
Channel Islands 1 0.36x
Gloucestershire 1 0.05x
Royal Navy 1 0.89x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 41 Dormans recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.42x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 41 5.42x
Barony 29 3.77x
Aston 26 3.99x
Glasgow 22 4.08x
Warehorne 15 877.19x
Shoreditch London 13 3.19x
Govan 12 1.60x
Harborne 12 11.81x
Maidstone 12 12.57x
Stranraer 12 105.17x
Uppingham 12 145.99x
Burmarsh 11 1929.82x
Cambuslang 11 35.91x
Chelsea London 11 3.89x
Girvan 11 62.32x
Friern Barnet 10 48.33x
Inch 10 82.24x
Monkwearmouth Shore 10 18.33x
Northampton Priory St 10 18.86x
Bradfield 9 342.21x
Collierley 9 72.29x
Halliwell 9 22.18x
Hastings St Leonards 9 38.66x
Lewes St John Southover 9 84.59x
Nottingham St Mary 9 2.75x
Staines 9 60.48x
Ashford 8 25.63x
Campsie 8 42.08x
Hemel Hempstead 8 27.42x
Huddersfield 8 5.90x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 8 18.45x
Kirkdale 8 4.27x
Layston 8 231.88x
Maryhill 8 13.45x
Stafford St Mary 8 17.82x
Stevenston 8 43.64x
Barnack 7 372.34x
Bishopwearmouth 7 2.92x
Camberwell 7 1.17x
Chilton 7 80.28x
Foulden 7 469.80x
Hunslet 7 4.82x
Leicester St Mary 7 8.32x
Malborough 7 90.09x
Margam 7 38.38x
West Calder 7 28.21x
Birtley 6 52.59x
Bow London 6 5.02x
Cleator 6 17.83x
Everton 6 1.69x
Fulwood 6 49.79x
Hungerford 6 62.89x
Lakenham 6 29.24x
New Luce 6 259.74x
North Benfleet 6 909.09x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 6 64.03x
Port Glasgow 6 17.05x
Preston 6 21.69x
Prudhoe 6 61.73x
Sculcoates 6 4.07x
St Luke London 6 3.98x
Stibbington 6 342.86x
Stockton On Tees 6 4.45x
Toft Lound Manthorpe 6 705.88x
Wombwell 6 22.11x
Downham Market 5 50.40x
Enderby 5 92.76x
Hampstead London 5 3.42x
Hutton Henry 5 85.03x
Little Sutton 5 179.86x
Northampton St Giles 5 14.85x
Norton 5 48.69x
Orlestone 5 375.94x
St Mary Extra 5 32.26x
Streatham 5 7.17x
Westminster St James 5 5.18x
Windle 5 7.97x
Deptford St Nicholas 4 15.72x
Great Sutton 4 370.37x
St Cuthbert W O 4 10.15x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Dorman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Dorman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 51
John 43
Thomas 34
George 31
James 22
Charles 19
Henry 15
Joseph 12
Robert 12
Frederick 10
Alfred 9
Edward 9
Arthur 8
Samuel 7
Albert 6
Walter 6
Frank 5
Ernest 4
Francis 4
Richard 4
Alexander 3
Harry 3
Thos. 3
Chas. 2
Christopher 2
David 2
Edwd. 2
Herbert 2
Hugh 2
Jonathan 2
Leonard 2
Luke 2
Martin 2
Matthew 2
Willm. 2
Wm. 2
Ambrose 1
Anthony 1
Bedford 1
Benjamin 1
Bertie 1
Edgar 1
Edwards 1
Edwin 1
Elie 1
Fred 1
Horace 1
Infant 1
J. 1
Jesse 1

FAQ

Dorman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dorman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 964 people were recorded with the Dorman surname. That placed it at #4,027 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dorman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,557 in 2016. That gives Dorman a modern rank of #3,979.

What does the Dorman surname mean?

An occupational surname for a doorkeeper or gatekeeper, derived from the Old English word "duru" meaning door.

What does the Dorman map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Dorman bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.