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ArchivesTrying to find origins of surname Dorbert
Hi-
I'm a newbie to name searching, and I just found your site. I have been looking for the origins of my husband's family name which is Dorbert. They really don't have much family history to go on. About the only thing they know is that his grandfather was from Germany. About the closest name i've been able to find is Norbert which appears to only be a first name.
Any direction you can give me in searching for the origins of this name is very much apprciated.
Thanks-
Michelle Dorbert
I'm a newbie to name searching, and I just found your site. I have been looking for the origins of my husband's family name which is Dorbert. They really don't have much family history to go on. About the only thing they know is that his grandfather was from Germany. About the closest name i've been able to find is Norbert which appears to only be a first name.
Any direction you can give me in searching for the origins of this name is very much apprciated.
Thanks-
Michelle Dorbert
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Replies
Since no one has answered, I'll give you the limited info I've come up with---hopefully someone else will be able to flesh it out. My guess is that Dorbert follows the German "bert" naming tradition (Albert for example): "brecht" means "bright". Unfortunately, I don't know what "dor" relates to in German.
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I was thinking along the same lines, and also struggling with Dor. I was wondering if it might represent the Old Germanic Thor which occurs in some English surnames in various forms; Thirkettle, Torode, Thorburn, etc.
I believe the early medieval German form of Thor was Donar, which makes this explanation less likely. Anyway I don't know of any German surnames that incorporate the name Thor, however spelt. Maybe someone with a knowledge of German can clarify.
I believe the early medieval German form of Thor was Donar, which makes this explanation less likely. Anyway I don't know of any German surnames that incorporate the name Thor, however spelt. Maybe someone with a knowledge of German can clarify.
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If you go to www.telefonbuch.de you will find the following:
85 x Dorbert in Germany
0 x Thorbert
0 x Torbert
393 x Thor
17 x Thorwald
THORBERT is not listed in Foerstemann’s Altdeutsches Namenbuch (he only has Thorbod; I don’t have the entry DOR, as I didn’t copy all the pages, but there would be a reference under THOR).
ROROLF/DOROLF is mentioned in H.Kaufmanns supplementary volume (1968), but again no DORBERT.
Still I agree to the interpretation “thor” + “beraht.” We probably won’t have to think too hard about the combination of the two, as there often is no semantic connection between name elements.
85 x Dorbert in Germany
0 x Thorbert
0 x Torbert
393 x Thor
17 x Thorwald
THORBERT is not listed in Foerstemann’s Altdeutsches Namenbuch (he only has Thorbod; I don’t have the entry DOR, as I didn’t copy all the pages, but there would be a reference under THOR).
ROROLF/DOROLF is mentioned in H.Kaufmanns supplementary volume (1968), but again no DORBERT.
Still I agree to the interpretation “thor” + “beraht.” We probably won’t have to think too hard about the combination of the two, as there often is no semantic connection between name elements.
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Thanks Andy. That appears make the "Thor" interpretation more acceptable.
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