Dora
Dora is a female name of Greek origin, being a shortened form or derived from Dorothea (Dorothy) and Theodora, meaning "gift" or in its full form "god's gift", from δῶρον, doron, "gift" + θεός, theos, "god". The name Dora can also be a short form of other names containing -dora such as Eudora and Isadora (Isidora).
Meaning & Origin of Dora
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Dora is a female name of Greek origin, being a shortened form or derived from Dorothea (Dorothy) and Theodora, meaning "gift" or in its full form "god's gift", from δῶρον, doron, "gift" + θεός, theos, "god". The name Dora can also be a short form of other names containing -dora such as Eudora and Isadora (Isidora).
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Dora
Dora first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 524 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 2,026 Doras were born — ranking #130 that year. As of 2026, Dora ranks #2,653 for baby girls with 65 births, falling sharply (-22%). In total, more than 106K Doras have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Dora
Phonetically similar names — useful when Dora is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dora
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About the name Dora
Dora is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 106K births in the dataset. Dora's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #46. Use the chart and map above to compare Dora's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1921 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.