Dorothy

Meaning: God's gift
Origin: Greek

Nicknames: Dora, Dolly, Dottie, Dodie, Dot

Girl's name · #421 in the US (2025) · Comeback

Popularity over time

Dorothy was #2 in 1920, slipped to #1117, and is currently back at #421. It has spent 26 years inside the national top 5.

Across the states

See where Dorothy is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 40 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Dorothy ranks in other countries and regions.

#199 in England & Wales (2025) · #231 in N. Ireland (2025) · #539 in Scotland (2025) · #544 in Ireland (2025) · #549 in Canada (2025) · #1,908 in Italy (2024) · #2,203 in Sweden (2025) · #2,328 in Austria (2025) · #5,679 in Ecuador (2025) · #4,390 in France (2023) · #440 in New Zealand (2022) · #658 in Poland (2019) and 2 more.

Famous Dorothys

Dorothy Hodgkin — British chemist (1910–1994)
Dorothy Parker — American poet, short story writer, critic and satirist (1893–1967)
Dorothy Malone — American actress (1924–2018)
Dorothy L. Sayers — English novelist, translator and Christian writer (1893–1957)
Dorothy Day — American Catholic and social activist (1897–1980)
Dorothy Dandridge — American actress and singer (1922–1965)
Dorothy McGuire — American actress (1916–2001)
Dorothy Vaughan — American human computer and computer programmer (1910–2008)
Dorothy Lamour — American actress and singer (1914–1996)
Dorothy Gish — American actress (1898–1968)

In stories & tradition

Dorothy Gale — Main protagonist in Oz novels
Dorothy Catalonia^ja — Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (anime series)
Dorothy Zbornak — The Golden Girls (TV series)

What Dorothys become

Among 1,619 notable people named Dorothy:

Artists & writers appear 1.73× more often than among typical names — e.g. Dorothy Parker, American poet, short story writer, critic and satirist (1893–1967).

Spellings & nicknames

About 140 girls a year are given Dottie as their full name, 110 Dolly, and 73 Dora.

Similar names: Dorothea · Elaine · Doris · Lottie · Joan · Penny

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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