Dorman Island adopted 4 September 1947 on C.3584, as recommended by Hydrographic Service.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

"Double Islands" labelled on Reference Map 3B, and on Forest Cover map R57, and on early Hydrographic Charts (dates not cited); renamed as Dorman Island and Farquharson Island c1940 by Hydrographic Service, to avoid confusion caused by duplication.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

Renamed in 1940 by Hydrographic Service, to avoid duplication; after J.G. (Jack) "Johnny Bones" Dorman, who surveyed, built and operated the Bones Bay cannery until the mid-1950's when it was closed down. Born 17 October 1889 at Port Grenville, Nova Scotia; worked for the old Wallace Fish Company (which became the New England Fish Company, later renamed the Canadian Fishing Company); came out to Vancouver with his family c1910 and worked at Kildonan and Uchucklusit fish canneries on the west coast. Keeper of Whales Island cannery, 1926; Shushartie, 1927; surveyed site for cannery at Bones Bay, 1928 [about 1 mile southwest of this island on the north shore of West Cracroft Island]; built the cannery and operated it until 1954 - the only cannery operator to never have a can rejected. Died 9 February 1969; his ashes were buried in an unmarked grave on the shores of Bones Bay (information provided to Provincial Archives in 1974 by Dorman's daughter, Mrs. Horne, Oak Bay)

Source: Provincial Archives' Place Names File (the "Harvey File") compiled 1945-1950 by A.G. Harvey from various sources, with subsequent additions