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Home › Baby Names Directory › Dorsey

Dorsey

♂ Boy

Pronounced DOR-see /ˈdɔːr.si/Medium

Meaning: Dorsey is a surname turned given name, from the Norman French d'Orsay ('from Orsay', a place near Paris). It also appears as an Anglicized Irish surname. As a first name it carried a distinguished, family-honoring air.Low

In 30 seconds: A dapper surname-name: Dorsey comes from d'Orsay ('from Orsay') (said 'DOR-see'). It peaked around 1916 and later shone with the Dorsey bandleaders.
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Origin LowFrench, Irish
MeaningDorsey is a surname turned given name, from the Norman French d'Orsay ('from Orsay', a place near Paris). It also appears as an Anglicized Irish surname. As a first name it carried a distinguished, family-honoring air.
U.S. rank (2018)#12666 ↘ Falling
2018 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1916
Total births (all-time)≈ 5,411

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 191618802018

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Dorsey began as the Norman French surname d'Orsay ('from Orsay'), also found as an Irish family name. Carried into first-name use to honor family lines, it peaked for boys around 1916. The Dorsey brothers of big-band fame kept the name in the public ear a generation later (said 'DOR-see').

As a given name it grew rare after mid-century, though it endures as a surname. It reads today as a suave, jazz-tinged antique. Distinguished, surname-style, and now uncommon.

Did you know? Dorsey, a surname meaning 'from Orsay', peaked as a boys' given name around 1916; bandleaders Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey later made the surname a swing-era byword.
Overall data confidence 50%
References — Dorsey — Norman French surname d'Orsay 'from Orsay'; also Irish

Variations

DorceyDorsyD'Orsay

Nicknames

DorDee

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Dorsey mean?

Dorsey means 'from Orsay', a Norman French surname (also an Irish family name) used as a first name.

How do you pronounce Dorsey?

It's said DOR-see /ˈdɔːr.si/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Dorsey a boy or girl name?

Dorsey has been used mostly for boys as a surname-style given name.

Is Dorsey making a comeback?

It stays rare as a first name, though surname names in general are back in fashion.

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