The village name is Old English and means "island frequented by bumble bees". This refers to the fact that it was once a patch of hard ground in the middle of a marshy bog, though with modern farming methods the marshland has more or less disappeared. In the Domesday Book of 1086 the village was referred to as Dornei.
The manor house, Dorney Court, is listed among England's many fine stately homes.
Today the village's proximity to the M4 motorway (therefore with a close link into London} has meant that it is now an area popular with executives and commuters.
The parish church is dedicated to St James.