Dorothy Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, Girl Names Like Dorothy

Dorothy Name Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: d(o)-ro-thy
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Dorothy Name Meaning

The History and Origin of the Name “Dorothy”

The name “Dorothy” has Greek roots, derived from “Dorothea,” meaning “gift of God.” It was a popular name in medieval England and became even more popular in the 19th century.

Popularity of the Name “Dorothy”

“Dorothy” was a particularly popular name in the early 1900s, ranking in the top 20 baby names in the United States. Its popularity waned in the mid-20th century but has seen a resurgence in recent years.

Cultural Significance of the Name “Dorothy”

Perhaps the most famous bearer of the name is Dorothy Gale, the protagonist in L. Frank Baum’s classic novel “The Wizard of Oz.” The name has also appeared in numerous other works of literature and pop culture, cementing its place in the cultural consciousness.

In conclusion, the name “Dorothy” has a rich history and cultural significance, with roots in medieval England and a resurgence in popularity in recent years.

Dorothy Name Popularity

How popular is the name Dorothy? Here’s everything we know.

Year	Rank	# Births	% Births
1910	4	7,314	2.0773%
1911	4	8,865	2.3806%
1912	3	12,645	2.5075%
1913	3	14,672	2.5878%
1914	3	18,782	2.6951%
1915	3	25,154	2.7686%
1916	3	27,417	2.8382%
1917	3	28,851	2.8838%
1918	3	32,028	2.9842%
1919	3	31,734	3.0306%
1920	2	36,643	3.2956%
1921	2	39,086	3.4134%
1922	2	37,716	3.3854%
1923	2	39,044	3.4859%
1924	2	39,997	3.4443%
1925	2	38,570	3.4124%
1926	2	36,611	3.3287%
1927	2	35,991	3.2514%
1928	3	33,730	3.1524%
1929	3	31,478	3.039%
1930	3	30,407	2.9109%
1931	3	26,522	2.6872%
1932	4	24,973	2.5277%
1933	4	22,047	2.3664%
1934	5	21,279	2.2012%
1935	6	19,403	1.9966%
1936	6	17,668	1.8341%
1937	8	16,568	1.6814%
1938	8	16,344	1.5965%
1939	9	15,171	1.4914%
1940	12	14,877	1.3997%
1941	14	14,563	1.2939%
1942	17	15,032	1.1904%
1943	19	14,789	1.1328%
1944	19	13,380	1.0796%
1945	20	12,325	1.0106%
1946	23	12,798	0.8673%
1947	26	12,750	0.7638%
1948	29	11,324	0.7094%
1949	32	10,407	0.6469%
1950	35	9,552	0.5933%
1951	42	9,090	0.5361%
1952	46	8,611	0.4933%
1953	49	8,154	0.4607%
1954	55	7,794	0.4264%
1955	65	7,239	0.3936%
1956	72	6,857	0.3631%
1957	74	6,399	0.3325%
1958	86	5,540	0.2931%
1959	94	5,234	0.2755%
1960	95	5,076	0.2679%
1961	99	4,726	0.2503%
1962	111	4,070	0.2217%
1963	117	3,787	0.211%
1964	118	3,531	0.2006%
1965	129	2,955	0.1807%
1966	137	2,651	0.1698%
1967	148	2,305	0.1519%
1968	157	2,067	0.1377%
1969	180	1,759	0.1142%
1970	179	1,788	0.1124%
1971	190	1,606	0.1069%
1972	220	1,236	0.0907%
1973	214	1,144	0.0882%
1974	231	1,075	0.0827%
1975	250	947	0.0737%
1976	243	946	0.0734%
1977	268	907	0.0673%
1978	260	884	0.0658%
1979	272	862	0.0611%
1980	278	857	0.0586%
1981	306	755	0.0514%
1982	298	793	0.0531%
1983	310	708	0.048%
1984	335	655	0.044%
1985	332	684	0.0451%
1986	373	587	0.0389%
1987	381	576	0.0377%
1988	399	558	0.0358%
1989	403	573	0.0355%
1990	428	549	0.0331%
1991	496	435	0.0267%
1992	489	463	0.029%
1993	519	428	0.0275%
1994	551	390	0.0254%
1995	609	322	0.0214%
1996	644	306	0.0204%
1997	675	272	0.0184%
1998	705	268	0.0179%
1999	671	292	0.0195%
2000	732	265	0.0173%
2001	749	272	0.0181%
2002	871	210	0.014%
2003	821	247	0.0162%
2004	841	242	0.0159%
2005	1,020	183	0.012%
2006	978	212	0.0135%
2007	1,015	206	0.0131%
2008	1,028	198	0.0128%
2009	1,067	179	0.012%
2010	1,038	179	0.0124%
2011	909	224	0.0157%
2012	888	229	0.0161%
2013	784	281	0.0197%
2014	722	328	0.0225%
2015	685	353	0.0243%
2016	623	406	0.0282%
2017	573	460	0.033%
2018	560	473	0.0344%
2019	536	496	0.0366%
2020	538	507	0.0398%
2021	473	581	0.0475%

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Dorothy

If you like Dorothy, you’ll love these other names like Dorothy.

What names are variants of Dorothy?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Dorothy.

Name	Meaning	Origin
Dasha	Gift of God	Greek
Dasya	Gift of God	Greek
Dodie	Well loved	Hebrew
Dody	Well loved; gift; gift of God	Hebrew
Doe	Gift of God	Greek
Doll	Gift of God	Greek
Dolley	Gift of God	Greek
Dolli	Gift of God	Greek
Dollie	Gift of God	Greek
Dolly	A variant spelling of Dollie.	English
Doortje	Gift of God	Greek
Dora	Gift	Greek
Doretta	Gift from God	Greek
Dori	A gift; beloved; adored; from Doris; gift; gift of God	Latin

Dorika	Gift of God	Greek
Dorinda		Spanish
Dorit	Gift of God	Greek
Dorita	Gift; from Doris; gift; gift of God	Greek
Doritha	Gift of God	Greek
Dorlisa	Gift; gift of God	Greek
Doro	Gift of God	Greek
Doronit	Gift of God	Greek
Dorota	Gift of God	Greek
Dorotea	Gift of God	Greek
Dorotha	Gift of God	Greek
Dorothea	Gift of God	Greek
Dorothee	Gift of God	Greek
Dorrit
Dortha	Gift of God	Greek

Dorthea	Gift of God	Greek
Dorthy	Gift of God	Greek
Dory	Gilded	French
Dosha	Gift of God	Greek
Dosya	Gift of God	Greek
Dot	Gift of God	Greek
Dottey	Gift of God	Greek
Dottie	Gift of God	Greek
Dotty	Gift of God	Greek
Tea		Italian
Thea	Gift of God	Greek

What names sound like Dorothy?

If you like how Dorothy sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Dorothy.

Name	Meaning	Origin	Popularity	Other Gender
Dorette	Gift	Greek
Doritt

What names are similar to Dorothy?

Find a name that’s like Dorothy, but just a little bit different.

Name	Meaning	Origin	Popularity	Other Gender
Doria	From Doris; gift	Greek

Lists With Dorothy

Find inspiration in these baby girl name lists featuring the name Dorothy.

Share Your Thoughts

6 Comments

Kariana Aug 3 at 10:10 am

We named our baby girl after her much loved great grandma Dorothy. We wanted something classic and meaningful and it just fit. We call her Dottie 🙂

Reply
Macon York Jun 21 at 7:14 am

Dorothy is named after my sister. Her first name is Dorothy (though she goes by her middle name), and I think it’s such a beautiful name and a beautiful way to honor my sister.

Reply
Esmeralda May 15 at 5:25 am

We named our first daughter Dorothy Michelle! Our youngest daughter is Amelia Rose and her younger brother is Gardener Andrew.

Reply
Amanda Aug 19 at 6:32 pm

I named my baby after her Great Great Grandmother… I love the older names and this one is not very common. I think the name is beautiful, but didn’t think others would agree… I was wrong! Everyone loves the “Old Fashion” name… a lot of the sweet people much older in age are so excited to hear of her name… the looks on their faces bring me such joy!

Reply
Samantha Jul 28 at 8:01 am

She is named after her great grandma

Reply
Melissa Jul 9 at 1:18 pm

Dorothy was her great grandmother’s name. We also tend to like longer and more unique names. Seeing as how “Dorothy” hasn’t been popular since the 1930’s, it fit the bill! We also adore “Dottie.”

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