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Dorst Family History

Dorst Surname Meaning

German: topographic name for someone who lived on dry hard ground from dörr ‘dry’ or a habitational name from any of the places called Dorst near Cologne or Helmstedt or Dorste in the Harz Mountains.

German: nickname from Middle Low German dorst ‘boldness cunning’. Compare Durst.

German: metathesized form of Droste.

Dutch: variant of Van Dorst without preposition a habitational name from Dorst, a place in the province of North Brabant which placename has been explained from Dornt, -t plural of Dorn for a place with ‘thorn bushes’ after a consonant evolution known as zooming -r into -s.

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


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Where is the Dorst family from?

You can see how Dorst families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dorst family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dorst families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 3 Dorst families living in Kent. This was about 33% of all the recorded Dorst's in United Kingdom. Kent had the highest population of Dorst families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dorst 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 Dorst ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Dorst. 60% of Dorst women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Dorst | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    60%
  • Domestic Maid Servant
    40%

What Dorst family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Dorst. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dorst census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dorst

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Dorst. 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 Dorst immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Dorst. For the veterans among your Dorst ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dorst military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dorst family history

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What is the average Dorst lifespan?

Between 1961 and 2004, in the United States, Dorst life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1970, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Dorst in 1961 was 55, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dorst

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dorst 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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