Surname Dorp - Meaning and Origin
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Dorp: What does the surname Dorp mean?
The last name Dorp is believed to be of Dutch origin. The literal translation of the word is "village" or "hamlet," suggesting that the family bearing this surname may have originated from a small, rural area.
The recorded history of the name dates back to the Middle Ages, when spelling variations such as DORPE, Dorf, Derp, and Delp were sometimes used. These variations indicate that the Dorp name was most likely taken on by more than one family group throughout the centuries.
The Dorp name can be seen spread out throughout Europe, from the Netherlands and Germany to France and England. It is most noticeable in North America, however, where it is overwhelmingly concentrated. Here, the spelling variations Dorsey and Dorsett are found, although the traditional spelling Dorp is still used.
The meaning of the name provides insight into the likely lifestyle of its bearers. Clustered in small villages and hamlets, these families traditionally engaged in the trades of farming, pottery-making, blacksmithing, and carpentry—the type of jobs that were necessary for a rural life. In later generations, members of the Dorp family may have moved away to larger cities in search for better work opportunities.
Nevertheless, the Dorp name stands for a proud heritage and links its bearers to the simple, rural lifestyle of their ancestors.
Order DNA origin analysisDorp: Where does the name Dorp come from?
The surname Dorp is most commonly found in the Netherlands and its surrounding countries. It may have originally come from the Middle Low German word 'dorp', meaning 'village' or 'little town'.
The Dutch surname is also known for its variant spellings, which can include Dorp, De Dorp, De Dorpmeester, De Dorpsmeester, Dorpe, Dorpman, and several others. It is likely that the nickname was originally used for a person who resided in a small village. This surname is still relatively common today in The Netherlands, though the spelling slight variations may also be found in Belgium, South Africa, and some instances of Dutch emigration to North America.
In North America, the name Dorp is comparatively less common, though there is a small presence of the name there, mainly due to Dutch immigrants and refugees in the 17th century. Some states with notable numbers of people surnamed Dorp include Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Iowa. The name is recorded in the United States as early as 1789 when Jan Gerritsz Dorp appears on a list of immigrants from the Netherlands.
Though their is certainly a much smaller population of people surnamed Dorp in North America compared to The Netherlands, the surname still maintains its presence there today.
Variations of the surname Dorp
The surname Dorp has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Most of these take the form of Dutch varieties, though there are some German and French spellings as well.
Variants of the surname Dorp can include Dorp, Dorpe, Dorppe, Dorps, Derp, Durp, Thorp, Thorp, Thrip, Throp, Thrape, Dropp, Droppe, and Dripp.
In Germany, the surname Dorp may take the form of Thürp or Thürpe. In France, the spelling may be slightly different, and seen as Deurpe or Duerpe.
Additionally, Dorp may be spelled as Dowrp or Doerp, both of which are also fairly common in Germany. There is also the Dutch spelling of Dörrp, as well as Darps, which is also popular in southern Germany and the Netherlands.
Variants of the surname Dorp can also be seen in Korsorpe, Thorrasen, Thorsen, Thorson, Thorstrup, Dorson, and the anglicized version of Thoreson. Some of these surnames are considered to be patronymic and may be spelled with an extra letter after the ‘r’, such as Thorsens or Thorstons.
Overall, Dorp is a fairly common surname, so there are multiple variants, as well as a few other related surnames with the same origin.
Famous people with the name Dorp
- Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong Dorp-Smit: Musician, singer, songwriter and actor.
- Balthazar Johannes Vorster Dorp: First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Africa
- Bríd Smith: Irish politician and activist
- Geertje Dorp-Van Gool: Dutch female hurdler active from 1961 to 1974
- Helena Dorp: Dutch-Indonesian actress
- E.C. Dorp: Dutch architect and urban planner
- Henricus Josephus Dorp: Economist and former employee of ING Bank
- Wilhelmus Adriaan Dorp: Dutch doctor and bacteriologist
- Frieda Dorp: Dutch author and travel columnist
- Frans Christiaan Dorp: Dutch physician and medical historian