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 name Dorothy means “Gift of God”.

Origins 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.

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.

Final Thoughts on the Name Dorothy

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	—	7,314	2.0773%
1911	—	8,865	2.3806%
1912	—	12,645	2.5075%
1913	—	14,672	2.5878%
1914	—	18,782	2.6951%
1915	—	25,154	2.7686%
1916	—	27,417	2.8382%
1917	—	28,851	2.8838%
1918	—	32,028	2.9842%
1919	—	31,734	3.0306%
1920	—	36,643	3.2956%
1921	—	39,086	3.4134%
1922	—	37,716	3.3854%
1923	—	39,044	3.4859%
1924	—	39,997	3.4443%
1925	—	38,570	3.4124%
1926	—	36,611	3.3287%
1927	—	35,991	3.2514%
1928	—	33,730	3.1524%
1929	—	31,478	3.039%
1930	—	30,407	2.9109%
1931	—	26,522	2.6872%
1932	—	24,973	2.5277%
1933	—	22,047	2.3664%
1934	—	21,279	2.2012%
1935	—	19,403	1.9966%
1936	—	17,668	1.8341%
1937	—	16,568	1.6814%
1938	—	16,344	1.5965%
1939	—	15,171	1.4914%
1940	—	14,877	1.3997%
1941	—	14,563	1.2939%
1942	—	15,032	1.1904%
1943	—	14,789	1.1328%
1944	—	13,380	1.0796%
1945	—	12,325	1.0106%
1946	—	12,798	0.8673%
1947	—	12,750	0.7638%
1948	—	11,324	0.7094%
1949	—	10,407	0.6469%
1950	—	9,552	0.5933%
1951	—	9,090	0.5361%
1952	—	8,611	0.4933%
1953	—	8,154	0.4607%
1954	—	7,794	0.4264%
1955	—	7,239	0.3936%
1956	—	6,857	0.3631%
1957	—	6,399	0.3325%
1958	—	5,540	0.2931%
1959	—	5,234	0.2755%
1960	—	5,076	0.2679%
1961	—	4,726	0.2503%
1962	—	4,070	0.2217%
1963	—	3,787	0.211%
1964	—	3,531	0.2006%
1965	—	2,955	0.1807%
1966	—	2,651	0.1698%
1967	—	2,305	0.1519%
1968	—	2,067	0.1377%
1969	—	1,759	0.1142%
1970	—	1,788	0.1124%
1971	—	1,606	0.1069%
1972	—	1,236	0.0907%
1973	—	1,144	0.0882%
1974	—	1,075	0.0827%
1975	—	947	0.0737%
1976	—	946	0.0734%
1977	—	907	0.0673%
1978	—	884	0.0658%
1979	—	862	0.0611%
1980	—	857	0.0586%
1981	—	755	0.0514%
1982	—	793	0.0531%
1983	—	708	0.048%
1984	—	655	0.044%
1985	—	684	0.0451%
1986	—	587	0.0389%
1987	—	576	0.0377%
1988	—	558	0.0358%
1989	—	573	0.0355%
1990	—	549	0.0331%
1991	—	435	0.0267%
1992	—	463	0.029%
1993	—	428	0.0275%
1994	—	390	0.0254%
1995	—	322	0.0214%
1996	—	306	0.0204%
1997	—	272	0.0184%
1998	—	268	0.0179%
1999	—	292	0.0195%
2000	—	265	0.0173%
2001	—	272	0.0181%
2002	—	210	0.014%
2003	—	247	0.0162%
2004	—	242	0.0159%
2005	—	183	0.012%
2006	—	212	0.0135%
2007	—	206	0.0131%
2008	—	198	0.0128%
2009	—	179	0.012%
2010	—	179	0.0124%
2011	—	224	0.0157%
2012	—	229	0.0161%
2013	—	281	0.0197%
2014	—	328	0.0225%
2015	—	353	0.0243%
2016	—	406	0.0282%
2017	—	460	0.033%
2018	—	473	0.0344%
2019	—	496	0.0366%
2020	—	507	0.0398%
2021	—	581	0.0475%
2022	—	609	0.0462%
2023	—	633	0.0489%

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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

8 Comments

Veronica Jan 6 at 6:25 pm

Religious significance (gift from God, St. Dorothea, Servant of God Dorothy Day)
Inverse of Theodore, which is a family name
We often call her Dottie, which we thought was a very cute nickname. Only problem is that “Dottie” can easily sound like “Daddy” lol, so hopefully that won’t be confusing.

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Tiffany May 24 at 5:43 pm

Dorothy was my great grandmothers name. I love classic names, and felt it would be a great way to honor her namesake. I also loved the Wizard of Oz growing up!

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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 🙂

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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.

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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!

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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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