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Dorcas Family History

Dorcas Name Meaning

Irish: adopted for Ó Dorchaidhe ‘descendant of Dorchadh’ a personal name based on dorcha ‘dark’. The surname has been assimilated by folk etymology to the New Testament Greek female personal name Dorcas which is from a Greek word meaning ‘doe or gazelle’ equivalent to Aramaic Tabitha.

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


Similar surnames: Doran, Dorman, Dorcey, Dorian, Dormer, Doris, Dornan, Dorais, Dorris

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Dorcas family from?

You can see how Dorcas families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dorcas family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dorcas families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 5 Dorcas families living in Warwickshire. This was about 38% of all the recorded Dorcas's in United Kingdom. Warwickshire had the highest population of Dorcas families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dorcas surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Dorcas ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Dorcas. 23% of Dorcas men worked as a Laborer and 18% of Dorcas women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dorcas were Truck Driver and Housework. .

View Census Data for Dorcas | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    23%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    15%
  • Truck Driver
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    18%
  • Housekeeper
    14%
  • School Teacher
    9%
  • Housework
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Dorcas family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Dorcas

Passenger Lists

There are 265 immigration records available for the last name Dorcas. 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 Dorcas immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 265 military records available for the last name Dorcas. For the veterans among your Dorcas ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Dorcas lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Dorcas life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1978, and highest in 1969. The average life expectancy for Dorcas in 1959 was 59, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dorcas

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