Doorne

Doorne is a Dutch surname. The name is most widely recognized from the family behind Van Doorne's Automobiel Fabriek, a Dutch engineering and automotive company. Hubert van Doorne and his brother Willem van Doorne founded the Eindhoven-based firm in the early 20th century. The company began as a metalworking workshop and evolved into an automobile and truck manufacturer. The company adopted the acronym DAF, short for Van Doorne's Automobiel Fabriek, and produced passenger cars as well as commercial vehicles.

DAF became an important European truck maker, with a distinct reputation for Dutch engineering. In the late 20th century, the truck division was separated and ultimately acquired by the American corporation PACCAR, continuing under the brand DAF Trucks N.V. The original company also produced cars under the DAF name for a period, including small economy models, before shifting its focus primarily to trucks.

Beyond the business context, the surname Doorne is relatively rare in the Netherlands and Belgium. The term may also appear in historical references to the DAF corporation and its founders.