Dorian

DOOR-ee-un
Greek, name of a tribe
"stranger, exile"

Dorian Origin and Meaning

The name Dorian is a boy's name of Greek origin.

The Dorians were an ancient Greek tribe, one of the three major pre-Spartan tribes. It literally means "of Doris," a Greek district, or "of Doros," referring to the son of Helen of Sparta. Dorian derives from the Greek doron, meaning "gift," along with related names such as Dorothy and Dora.

Dorian was introduced as a first name by Oscar Wilde in his 1890 novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, the story of a narcissistic character who retains his youthful good looks while his portrait in the attic ages grotesquely. Despite this negative reference, Dorian's attributes have kept it consistently on the boys' list since the 1960s.

Dorian also has a musical reference, being the name of one of the modes.

Actor Dorian Harewood has been a familiar presence in movies and on TV.

Rhythmic and unusual, Dorian makes a distinctive choice.

# 608 in the US

Dorian Rank in US Top 1000

# 146 on Nameberry

Dorian Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Dorian Popularity

Famous People Named Dorian

  • Dorian Kingi
    American stuntman/actor and son of actress Lindsay Wagner
  • Dorian Missick
    American actor
  • Dorian Edward West
    English rugby union player
  • Dorian Alan Peña
    Filipino,Brazilian,American basketball player
  • Dorian van Rijsselberghe
    Dutch windsurfer
  • Dorian Jordan
    son of musician and reality TV personality Stevie J ("Love & Hip Hop Atlanta")
  • Dorian Gregory
    American actor
  • (Willie) Dorian Harewood
    American actor

Dorian in Pop Culture

  • "The Picture of Dorian Gray
    " novel by Oscar Wilde
  • Dorian Havilliard
    main character in Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series
  • Dorian the DRN Robot
    character on TV's "Almost Human"
  • Dorian Long
    character on TV's "Moesha"
  • Dorian Pavus
    character in video game "Dragon Age: Inquisition"
  • Dorian Lagatos
    main character in 2004 film "Dorian Blues"
  • Dorian Hawkmoon
    character in Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion series
  • Dorian Heywood
    character on TV sitcom "A Different World"
  • Jonathan Michael "J.D." Dorian
    character on TV's "Scrubs"
  • "Dorian
    " song by Danish musician Agnes Obel
  • Hurricane Dorian
    devastating Category 5 storm that hit the Bahamas in 2019