Dorrell is an uncommon given name of American origin, derived from the surname Dorrell which itself is of Norman French descent. It was introduced to England by the Normans following the 1066 invasion and means 'from the dark forest' or 'from the black hill,' derived from the Old French elements 'd'or' meaning 'of gold' and 'la' meaning 'the.' The name Dorrell is believed to have been brought to America by early English settlers.
The name Dorrell experienced a significant rise and fall in popularity over the course of the century, with peaks in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and valleys throughout most other decades.