The name Dordogne has evolved from the Celtic words Du unna meaning fast water. During the Roman Empire, the river was known as the Duranius, which gradually during the Middle Ages evolved to Duranna, Durunia, Durdunia, Dordoigne and finally Dordogne.
The river, whose source is in the Auvergne at the Puy de Sancy (1 886m/6 186ft), crosses five departments (Puy de Dôme, Corrèze, Lot, Dordogne and Gironde) before joining the Garonne to form the Gironde estuary. The river bed consists of pebbles and sand.

Mankind has existed on the banks of the river since ancient times. Remains from the Celtic period (3C BC) have been found in the middle section of the valley, while amphorae once used for wine have been uncovered in the region of Bergerac; these amphorae date from the 1C-2C BC and bear witness to a wine trade with Ancient Rome before vines were planted along the banks of the river.

The main vineyards along the river valley are:

• VIN DE DOMME
• PECHARMANT
• MONBAZILLAC
• SAINT EMILION
• POMEROL

The main tributaries which feed into the river along its 475km/296-mile course are the Cère, Maronne, Vézère and Isle.

A number of dams (Bort les Orgues 1951, Marèges 1937, L'Aigle 1945, Le Sablier 1958 and Du Chastang 1952) regulate the water level in the river and produce hydro-electricity.

Rises in water level are frequent in the Dordogne. The water is at its lowest in August, when the average flow in La Roque Gageac is 20 m3/sec; when the river is in spate in the spring this can rise to as much as 2500 m3/sec.

The longitudinal gradient of the river is approximately 0.5 m/km. A log floating in the river can reach speeds of 50 kmh/31mph when the river is in spate.

The Dordogne was twinned with the Jacques-Cartier river in Quebec in 1985. Both rivers are involved in projects to re-introduce the Atlantic salmon into their waters.