This interesting surname of English origin is derived from the middle English personal name Dere (old English pre 7th Century Deora), a short form of various compound names with eh first element "deor" meaning "dear", in part a byname meaning "beloved", plus "mann", a "man". It may also be a nickname deriving from the old English pre 7th Century "deor", in this case meaning "wild animal", "deer", probably "the swift" plus "mann". The suffix "man" when attached to a nickname had augmentative force and when conjoined with the master's personal name meant "servant of". The surname dates back to the late 11th Century, (see below). One Katherine Dormone married Henry Reeve at St. Giles, Cripplegate, London on October 28th 1565. William Dorman married Margaret Holte at St. Giles, Cripplegate, London on August 30th 1572, and Ann Dormon married Richard Mayson, at St. Katherine, Creechurch, London on June 4th 1716. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Dermen, which was dated 1086, Domesday Book, during the reign of King William 1, "The Conqueror", 1066 - 1087. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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