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Dorney Family History

Dorney Name Meaning

Irish (Cork and Tipperary): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Doirinne ‘descendant of Doireann’ a female personal name meaning ‘sullen’. Scottish: probably a diminutive variant of Scottish Durno a habitational name from the placename Derno (Fife) or less probably the placename Dornoch (Sutherland). English: possibly a habitational name from Dorney (Buckinghamshire) a placename formed with Old English ēg ‘island’ or more likely from a local pronunciation of Thorney or Thorner . Americanized form of Hungarian Dörnyei or Dörnyey: habitational name for someone from a place called Dernye in former Körös County.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Torney, Downey, Dolney, Darney, Corney, Horney, Dorsey, Olney, Arney

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Where is the Dorney family from?

You can see how Dorney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dorney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dorney families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 45 Dorney families living in London. This was about 30% of all the recorded Dorney's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Dorney families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dorney surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Dorney ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Dorney. 78% of Dorney men worked as a General Labourer and 89% of Dorney women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dorney were Groom and Unpaid Domestic. .

View Census Data for Dorney | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    78%
  • Groom
    23%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    89%
  • Incapacitated
    5%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Dorney family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 12,000 census records available for the last name Dorney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dorney census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dorney

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Dorney. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Dorney. For the veterans among your Dorney ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Dorney lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Dorney life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Dorney in 1956 was 39, and 87 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dorney

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