Dour as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Dour

What is the meaning of the name Dour ?

The baby name Dour is a Unisex name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /dʊr/ (also heard as /dɔːr/ or /dʊə(r)/).

Dour is English in Origin.

Dour is a rare given name with Brythonic Celtic roots, from Breton dour “water,” cognate with Welsh dŵr and Cornish dowr, all from Proto-Celtic *dubros “water, stream.” It also surfaces in British toponyms like the River Dour in Kent and the town name Dover (from Brittonic Dubris). As a personal name it has emerged as a modern nature choice within Breton and wider Celtic revivals, occasionally adopted elsewhere for its spare sound and aquatic meaning.

Because English “dour” means “stern” via Scots and Old French dur < Latin durus “hard,” the name carries a double resonance across languages; many bearers lean into the softer Celtic sense of flow and vitality. Variants and cognates include Dŵr (Welsh) and Dowr (Cornish); related toponyms appear in Dover and the River Dour of Kent, from Brittonic dubras “waters.” As a given name it remains uncommon and unisex. Meaning: “water; river.”