girl's name
Dorothy
DOR-a-thee
- Origin Greek
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 1,121,555
the United States
#421
2025 births
Dorothy is a girl's name of Greek origin meaning "gift of God." It is Theodore with its two halves reversed — doron, gift, and theos, God — so the two names mean exactly the same thing.
- Dorothy is a name of Greek origin.
- Peaked in 1924, when 40,097 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 4,462 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Dorothy 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 | 2,088 |
| 1890s | 10,872 |
| 1900s | 39,248 |
| 1910s | 207,956 |
| 1920s | 369,879 |
| 1930s | 211,521 |
| 1940s | 132,766 |
| 1950s | 74,712 |
| 1960s | 33,143 |
| 1970s | 11,688 |
| 1980s | 7,165 |
| 1990s | 4,211 |
| 2000s | 2,717 |
| 2010s | 3,958 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,984 |
What Dorothy means
Dorothy means gift of God. The elements are doron, a gift, and theos, God, in that order; Theodore has them the other way round and means the same.
Where Dorothy comes from
Dorothy comes from the Greek Dorothea, from doron, gift, and theos, God. Reversing the elements gives Theodora and Theodore, which is why those names are identical in meaning and unrelated in sound. Saint Dorothea of Caesarea, martyred around 311, is said to have sent roses from paradise to a scoffing lawyer, which made her the patron of florists. L. Frank Baum's Dorothy Gale in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published 1900, is the name's defining modern bearer, and the 1939 film fixed it.
Dorothy in use
Our data marks Dorothy as reviving, peaking in 1924, at 199 in England and Wales against 421 in the United States. It first appears in our records in 1880 and has never dropped out. It belongs with Edith, Nellie and Hattie in the Victorian revival now underway in Britain.
How popular is Dorothy?
In 2025, Dorothy was given to 743 babies in the United States, ranking #421 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Dorothy 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.
Names that peaked alongside Dorothy
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Dorothy also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Dorothy over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
7 nicknames for Dorothy
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Dorothy 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 Dorothy
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Dorothy — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Dorothy
What does the name Dorothy mean?
Dorothy means "gift of God," from the Greek doron, gift, and theos, God.
Do Dorothy and Theodore mean the same thing?
Exactly the same — the two halves are simply reversed.
Why is Dorothea the patron of florists?
Her legend has her sending roses from paradise to a lawyer who mocked her on the way to execution.
How popular is the name Dorothy?
In 2025, Dorothy was given to 743 babies in the United States, ranking #421 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Dorothy a girl's or a boy's name?
Dorothy is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Dorothy?
Dorothy has 3 syllables.
When was Dorothy most popular?
Dorothy peaked in 1924, when 40,097 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
What are the nicknames for Dorothy?
Dorothy is usually shortened to Dot, Dottie, Dolly, Thea, Dora and Dory.
Is Dorothy a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Dorothy currently ranks #199 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.