girl's name
Dorothea
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 4
- Letters 8
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 34,989
England and Wales
#877
2025 births
Dorothea is a girl's name with 4 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 113 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Peaked in 1920, when 1,110 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 29,340 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 4 syllables, with the stress on syllable 3.
Dorothea over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 347 |
| 1890s | 807 |
| 1900s | 1,810 |
| 1910s | 7,750 |
| 1920s | 8,518 |
| 1930s | 4,180 |
| 1940s | 3,111 |
| 1950s | 3,014 |
| 1960s | 2,326 |
| 1970s | 768 |
| 1980s | 478 |
| 1990s | 299 |
| 2000s | 210 |
| 2010s | 345 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 464 |
How popular is Dorothea?
In 2025, Dorothea was given to 113 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Dorothea is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Dorothea is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Dorothéa | Dorothéa is a rare spelling of Dorothea, written with an acute accent and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Dorothea
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Dorothea also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Dorothea over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Dorothea in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Dorothea
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Dorothea — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Dorothea
How popular is the name Dorothea?
In 2025, Dorothea was given to 113 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Dorothea a girl's or a boy's name?
Dorothea is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Dorothea?
Dorothea has 4 syllables.
When was Dorothea most popular?
Dorothea peaked in 1920, when 1,110 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Dorothea a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Dorothea currently ranks #877 in the United States. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.