Dorrance as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Dorrance

What is the meaning of the name Dorrance ?

The baby name Dorrance is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced DOR-əns (IPA: /ˈdɔːrəns/).

Dorrance is English in Origin.

Dorrance is a rare English-language given name taken from a surname. In Ireland it reflects the anglicized Gaelic Ó Deoráin/Ó Deoradháin, source of Doran, Dorran, and Dorrans; the underlying noun deoradh means “exile, pilgrim, stranger,” giving Dorrance the sense of “pilgrim/wayfarer.” In Scotland, Dorrans/Dorrance occurs as a Lowland surname of similar Gaelic origin, while some lines show French-influenced spellings by analogy with Durance.

As a given name it surfaced in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, in step with the fashion for adopting family surnames. Notables include philanthropist Dorrance Hill Hamilton and the wrestling family of Dorrance “Dory” Funk Sr. and Jr. Variants and short forms include Dorance, Dorran, Dorrans, Doran, Dory, and Rance. The name carries a restrained, old-world tone anchored by the journeying meaning at its core.

⚙ Dorrance is an extremely rare name. Across our dataset of national birth registries and international name records, Dorrance appears only 4 times in total — found in 2 countries. If you're considering it, you'd be giving your child a name almost nobody else has.