Dorland
Of English origin, a topographic name referencing a settlement in a valley.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Dorland. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dorland today is around 93 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dorland births was 1923 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dorland. 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 Dorland is about 93 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Dorlands were born before 1943.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dorland. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1923
9 babies that year
Average age
93
years old
1943 SSA rank
#3,676
Tracked since 1923
Popularity
Dorland: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dorland from the 1920s through to the 1940s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 24 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dorland 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 Dorland 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 Dorland
The given name Dorland has its roots in the Germanic languages, specifically in the Old English and Old Norse tongues. Its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 11th to 13th centuries.
One plausible theory suggests that Dorland is derived from the Old English words "dor" and "land," meaning "door" and "land" respectively. This combination could signify a person who lived near a prominent door or gateway, or perhaps someone who guarded or maintained a significant entryway to a settlement or territory.
Another possibility is that Dorland stems from the Old Norse name "Thorleifr," which itself is a compound of "Thor" (the name of the Norse god of thunder) and "leifr" (meaning "descendant" or "heir"). In this context, Dorland may have originated as a variation or shortening of Thorleifr, potentially carrying connotations of strength, resilience, and inheritance.
Early recorded instances of the name Dorland are scarce, but it is believed to have been in use, albeit infrequently, among certain Germanic populations in northern Europe during the medieval period. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Dorland the Scribe, a monk who lived in the late 12th century and was known for his intricate calligraphy work in illuminated manuscripts.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name Dorland was Sir Dorland de Montfort, a knight from Normandy who fought in the Hundred Years' War. Records indicate that he participated in several battles, including the Battle of Crécy in 1346, where he distinguished himself on the battlefield.
Another historical figure was Dorland the Alchemist, a 16th-century practitioner of alchemy and natural philosophy. While little is known about his specific achievements, he is mentioned in several texts from the time as a prominent figure in the alchemical circles of his era.
In the 17th century, Dorland Brouwer was a Dutch artist known for his detailed landscape paintings depicting rural scenes and villages. He was active in the early part of the century and is considered a notable figure in the Dutch Golden Age of painting.
During the 19th century, Dorland Westervelt was an American inventor and entrepreneur who patented several innovative designs for agricultural machinery. He lived from 1823 to 1892 and played a role in the industrialization of farming practices in the United States.
While the name Dorland has waxed and waned in popularity over the centuries, it remains a unique and intriguing given name with a rich historical tapestry woven into its linguistic and cultural origins.
People
Dorland + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dorland 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
Dorland: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dorland?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dorland 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Dorland a common name?
We classify Dorland as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 43 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dorland most popular?
The single biggest year for Dorland was 1923, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dorland is about 93 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Dorland in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dorland a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dorland 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.
Is Dorland still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dorland in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Dorland can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Dorland?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.