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Dorner Family History

Dorner Surname Meaning

German (also Dörner): habitational name for someone from any of the places called Dorn or Dornau in Bavaria or either of two places called Dorna in Saxony and Thuringia. German (also Dörner): northern variant of Turner an occupational name for a watchman, someone who manned a tower.

This surname is also found in France (Vosges, Alsace, and Lorraine). Compare Durner.

Breton (also Le Dorner): occupational name for a thresher, derived from dornañ ‘to beat, to thresh’.

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


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Where is the Dorner family from?

You can see how Dorner families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dorner family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Dorner families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 10 Dorner families living in Warwickshire. This was about 18% of all the recorded Dorner's in United Kingdom. Warwickshire had the highest population of Dorner families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dorner surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Dorner ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Timber Labourer (heavy Worker) and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Dorner. 50% of Dorner men worked as a Timber Labourer (heavy Worker) and 94% of Dorner women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dorner were Butcher (owner) and Domestic Helper.

View Census Data for Dorner | 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

  • Timber Labourer (heavy Worker)
    50%
  • Butcher (owner)
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    94%
  • Domestic Helper
    7%

What Dorner family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 7,000 census records available for the last name Dorner. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dorner census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dorner

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Dorner. 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.

View all Dorner immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Dorner. For the veterans among your Dorner ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dorner military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dorner family history

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What is the average Dorner lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Dorner life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1965. The average life expectancy for Dorner in 1945 was 50, and 85 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dorner

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dorner ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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